Hero of the Day
by TWbasketcase
Summary: With Magneto out of the way, Mystique has taken it upon herself to continue the dream of mutant superiority. The Brotherhood is trying hard to fill his shoes, but they hit a few bumps along the way. Jonda, Romy, PolarIce, Lancitty. Full summary inside.
1. Prologue

**Title**: Hero of the Day  
**Author**: TWBasketCase  
**Rated**: T for violence, language, drug use, and a few other silly things that I don't really find offensive but other people do.  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own the X-Men or Evolution. I do not intend to make any money off of this work. If I did own Marvel you would damn well know that Pyro would still be alive…sob. Oh yeah, I also don't own the title of this fic…Metallica does, and lord knows that they _would_ sue a measly fan, lol. This disclaimer applies for all following chapters as well.  
**Full Summary**: Takes place ten months after the fall of Apocalypse. Mystique is furious at the defection of Magneto to the X-Men, and decides that the road to mutant superiority is now in her hands. She recruits two of Magneto's former Acolytes to the Brotherhood, brings back Tabitha, and rescues a certain living-computer from the Hellfire Club to help strengthen the ranks of her team. When a small stealth mission exposes an anti-mutant mob known as the FOH, Mystique will stop at nothing to bring them down. But what the FOH are hiding and developing proves to be too much for the BoM, and they risk losing one of their own...and things only start going downhill from there.  
**Pairings**: Will be Jonda, Lancitty, Romy, Polarice (or Lice, whichever you prefer :P), and Tabitha/Pietro/X-23. There will be a few minor ones as well.

* * *

**Chapter 1 - Prologue**

* * *

In a perfect world the sun would always be shining, the birds singing, and the sky blue. In a perfect world there would be no hatred, ignorance, or war. Would it be so strange to live a life where the world seemed so flawless and wonderful? Could mankind, for once, ever live in relative peace and accept every living being as one and the same? Maybe in a perfect world… 

There was no such thing.

Except, of course, at the mansion of one Professor Charles Francis Xavier; even if the perfect weather was always attributed to a white-haired witch, their world always seemed so god damned complete. The children would laugh and frolic around in the yard. Young loves and relationships would develop and blossom. Problems would arise - wars, criminals, and death - and still, the mansion belonging to the Professor would always stand, and its occupants ensured that they would do what was right.

They didn't believe that there could be such thing as pure, unadulterated hate; they honestly believed that anyone could solve their problems peacefully amongst themselves. They believed that they could single handedly end all of hate in the world - especially that between the humans and mutants.

Mutants were a step up from humans; they had the most amazing abilities that put them in a level all of their own. There were mutants who controlled the weather - like the white-haired witch, and there were mutants who could control the psychic mind - like the Professor himself. Mutants who could control the elements of the Earth, the probabilities of reality, the life force of all living things, or even gravity itself, walked the Earth everyday amongst the humans with no powers of their own. Mutants held such great power that it terrified humans to the point of anger and hate. They did not begin to understand the magnitude that such powers held, and for that the world's population was forced to live in fear and ignorance.

So the humans felt threatened. They would stop at nothing to take their place as the dominant species of the world; they looked to produce mutant registrations and scientific experiment laboratories. They wanted to wipe the Earth clean of all those who held the X-gene; to destroy those who held such awesome power. Who was to say what some mutants could do with the power they had, and how they chose to use such power? The humans wanted to take no risk with such 'freaks', as they called them. They wanted the heads of the hundreds - or even thousands - of the Earth's mutants, how ever many there may be.

They had already tried to bring them down with secret government agencies before. A man by the name of Bolivar Trask, and an agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D. had already once - and unsuccessfully - designed a mutant killing machine known as the Sentinel to wipe out and collect members of the mutant population. Sentinels were large, robotic machines with flight capabilities, stunning lasers, deathly missiles, and a strange, green colored goo that could physically trap anything caught inside of it. The original prototype had been destroyed thankfully, but information gathered had shown that they very well could be in production again.

And as long as the humans felt threatened by the presence of the mutants' awesome power, most mutants believed that the mutant death traps would continually be produced.

Which left one to wonder why life at the Xavier mansion was always so carefree, as if there was never even a threat at all? How could an entire group of mutants not feel threatened by an oncoming war between the homosapiens and the homosuperior? Their very lives were at stake and they were all so willing to die to promote peace between both races. They believed that mutants were on the same level as humans, and their powers should only be used to assist in bettering everyone's lives.

But why would a mutant want to better the life of someone who was so willing to take their own?

That was exactly why she believed that she should lead her team to a position in the war that would prevent such a thing from occurring. Mutants were the next stage in evolution, and soon there would probably not even be any humans left, as all eventually would have a power of their own. If her stance was taken now, she could help prevent the termination of her race, which was imminently going to rule the world one day anyway. She would spare the lives of herself, her children, and her team, and continue on the quest for superiority - the next stage in evolution.

There was a great man once who had preached all of it to her. He himself had been a victim of persecution, and he bore witness to the death of his entire family. Since that time, Eric Lensherr had been adamant about preventing the same fate from happening to the mutants as well. He had made it his own personal mission to put all of the anti-mutant governmental agencies out of commission; he was partly (along with the great mutant Apocalypse) responsible for the sentinel prototype being destroyed. Eric was a man of great power, and from the day she had met him she admired and followed his every move.

She had even trusted him enough to perform experiments on her own unborn child to ensure that he would have an active x-gene at the time of his birth. Although the extent of the experiments and what he had actually done to her at that time were questionable and pretty unknown to her, she still held loyalty to him for a greater part of her teenage and adult life. He was the only born mutant leader she had ever known, and after the horror that she experienced after her initial power surge, he was the only one who had helped her, and trained her to use her powers to their maximum ability.

She felt indebted to him and took on any job or mission that he had for her. The most notable of those missions however, was the Brotherhood of Mutants. After he had felt she was responsible and capable enough, he left her in charge of recruiting a team of the most formidable mutants that she could find. She recruited _any_ mutant that she could find - weak, strong, stupid, and crazy - and formed up her team. At first her prime initiative was to prove to Eric just how powerful of a team they were, but as time wore on she realized that her loyalty was in question when Eric had continuously made her prove her worthiness to him, when she felt it wasn't necessary.

Of course their partnership from that point on was off and on, but it never once affected the level of respect that she held for the man. She continued to lead her team, whom she had numerous problems with, but deeply admired Eric nonetheless.

Which was why it hurt so damn much for her to sit back and watch as he threw away the dream they had worked so hard to achieve.

High above the walls of Xavier's mansion, a large raven sat perched on a tree branch and watched the activities that were occurring below her. Of course the weather was perfect for the day's training, and the children were below her laughing - just like they always were. The man leading the team was the worst part; he was laughing along with the children as they showcased their formidable powers. Eric Lensherr was now a teacher at the Xavier mansion, training the do-right mutants in battle combat…combat techniques that they would use for their fight for _equality_.

Magneto wanted peace between the mutants and the humans.

The round eyes of the raven narrowed to small slits as she watched him; he was a damn hypocrite and a coward. He had not only abandoned her and her team, but his own children and all of the mutants out there who were ready to battle for their lives as well. She could never begin to understand his change in stance, or what had triggered it in the first place. It was the brotherhood who had saved his life from the grips of Apocalypse, not Charles Xavier. His entire stance on Apocalypse was to bring him down in order for him not to destroy any members of the superior mutant race, but to also not put a damper on his plans of mutant superiority. Eric had put his life on the line for the dream against Apocalypse, and then when all was said and done he betrayed the Brotherhood for the X-Men.

She for one would die trying. Eric had taken the easy way out and sided with Charles, but Mystique was not going to throw her life's work down the drain for an unrealistic dream. She was going to take all of her training and work to continue on the path of mutant dominance; she had already taken the first step in doing so.

The first building blocks of her team were decent at best. The mutants she had been able to recruit at first were questionable, even to her. Of course, they did have their powers and each one of them brought a unique use to the table. Quicksilver proved essential to any stealth operatives, or any last minute attack plans. His boldness and speed was unmatched to any other; however his arrogance proved to be his downfall. His judgment would often be clouded, and he saw himself in a much better light than any other. Many times his cocky attitude would be the cause of many problems that they landed in; and although he was able to quickly get himself out of the mess, he always left others to pick up the pieces. And while quick snatch and grabs tended to be his niche, his powers proved decent at best during combat. There were only so many whirlwinds and pranks he could pull on the battlefield.

Toad on the other hand proved worthy in both stealth mode and in hand to hand combat. He wasn't exactly the most graceful on his feet, but he did possess the ability to climb walls and use thievery tactics when needed. On the field he had himself a nasty tongue, and a disgusting mouth of slime that more often sickened people than scared them. And while Toad seemed to have the potential to be extremely well rounded, his inexperience always seemed to get the better of him. His constant immaturity and desire to impress his team members made him more of a distraction and a liability.

In combat, Blob was probably the most reliable source that she had. He had the ability to keep himself grounded and immoveable; even the adamantium claws of one Weapon X held no match for the big boy. His super human strength and invulnerability made him a force to be reckoned with in combat, and for that Mystique was pleased. But while his pure brute force was an asset, his lack of speed and lightness on his feet were quite bothersome. However, she couldn't expect anything different from a boy who weighed well over 500 pounds.

Avalanche was also worthy in the combat field. He was able to rip the ground out from underneath any of his foes, as well as cause earthquakes, collapses, craters in the earth, and had shattering affects on almost any inorganic object. Lance's leadership abilities and slight sense of responsibility pleased Mystique, as he seemed to be the one with the most potential to lead the team tactically and strategically through battle. If anything was in his way it would most definitely be his belligerent and stubborn attitude, as well as his love interest in the enemy. There were times that Mystique greatly questioned where Lance's loyalties lied, and for that she often had to keep a close eye on him. However, Lance was a young man of great power and was a definite asset to the team.

However, if anyone wielded an extraordinary power, it was the original team's lone female, the Scarlet Witch. The extent of Wanda's powers was fairly unknown to Mystique, but the girl had the ability to destroy just about anything that she looked at. By watching her progress, Mystique had sensed that Wanda's powers had much to do with chance and probability, but she couldn't know exactly for sure. It only figured since Wanda was the team's most powerful mutant, she was also the most mentally unstable and tended to pose a problem for the team. Wanda had very little control over her abilities, and because of that, she usually just tended to level everything in sight - including her own team members, whether intentional or not.

So while her team had such great potential, they almost always seemed to get the better of themselves and mess up. Of course, they were still only 17, 18, and 19 year old kids, and for that reason Mystique felt that she needed to add more to her ranks in order to achieve her goal. Luckily for her, she was able to come across a few mutants that she thought would be able to elevate her team immensely; one of which was trained as an X-Man and had excellent control over her abilities. Tabitha Smith had once been a temporary member of the Brotherhood, but Mystique had not been around to really oversee Tabitha's usefulness. When Mystique approached the girl once again, she was able to convince her to return (and gave up her bed in the process). She had been a prominent member since.

The other ranks, on the other hand, were a little more difficult to track down, but proved to be extremely useful assets for the team. Pyro, while somewhat insane, had excellent control over his marvelous ability, and was able to maintain his energetic focus for long periods of time. He was a convicted arsonist back in his homeland of Australia, so after the Acolytes had disbanded he didn't have much of a choice in terms of places to go. He also didn't show much in terms of initiative, but he would do what was asked of him as long as he was able to use his abilities.

Gambit, on the other hand, had proved a lot more difficult in recruitment. The man was always very suspicious of Mystique and was almost always able to pick up on ulterior motives and bad tactical advances. In stealth operatives the young man was the best of the best, and his leadership skills also proved extremely worthy. He had a good head on his shoulders, as well as an absolutely uncanny control over his explosive abilities. She had to go over many negotiations in order to get him to comply, but in the end was successful. His expert thievery, athletic agility, masterful hand-to-hand combat, and uncanny charming abilities had proven commendable of her now more powerful team.

Her growing team was her first step in continuing the fight for mutant supremacy. They had been training the past few months on working on their abilities and working better as a unit. Their work would determine whether or not her quest would be successful or not, so she wasn't taking it lightly. She had left both Gambit and Avalanche in charge of the boarding house and training exercises with the team members. She figured that being the age that they were it would lead to a few problems, but she had kept tabs on their progress and was happy overall.

She, however, had spent the past seven months doing extensive spying; gathering intelligence on government facilities such as Area 51, secret societies like the Hellfire Club, and obtaining the newest technology that would help aid her and her team in battle. Her biggest lead however had led her to a very familiar face - one that she thought she would never see again. Under the circumstances, she took the target a little more seriously than she knew she needed to. For what it was worth, he would make an excellent first mission target for her team.

She was ready to return to the boarding house on a more full-time basis to prepare them.

She took one last look down at the man that she used to know as her leader and sighed; if he couldn't find it in his guts to do what needed to be done, she was more than willing to pick up where he left off. She may not have had the amount of power that he wielded, but with the help of her new team, she knew she could manage without him - no matter how much it angered her.

It was only a matter of time that humans would know exactly what they were dealing with - and she was not going to let them win.

_**To Be Continued…**_

* * *

**A/N**: So that was the first chapter! It's not at all the same format that the rest of the story is going to be in, but more of a preview of what Mystique is all about now, and what she has planned next for the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood will appear in the next chapter, I will promise you that. There will also be a good amount of certain X-Men in this fic as well. So thanks for sticking through with the boring stuff, lol, and please come back for the next chapter! It will be fun, I promise! 


	2. Stepping Up

_**A/N**_: Before we get started, I just wanted to be clear on a few things in regards to my characters. I will be adding in some people that have not appeared in X-Men: Evolution, but have appeared in the comics. I just want people to keep in mind that this story is Evolution, so the character's comic counterparts will not be the exact same. For example, how Amanda Sefton was a demon slaying mutant in the comics, and was an African American human instead on the show…  
- Secondly, I will call Pyro John. His name is St. John in the comics, but like the movie Pyro, Evolution Pyro went only by the name of John. Such was said in the DVD of Evo Season 3  
- Thirdly, Cyclops and Jean's appearance will be minimal. This takes place a year after Apocalypse and according to the show the two of them were preparing for University, so don't expect much if any from them.  
- And lastly, I'm just going to quickly go over the ages of my characters just so everyone is on the same page.  
_Sage_: 21  
_Gambit, Colossus_: 20  
_Pyro, Avalanche, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Blob_: 19  
_Rogue, Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver_: 18  
_Toad, Meltdown (Boom-Boom), Shadowcat, Nightcrawler_: 17  
_Iceman, Magma, X-23, Havok, Polaris_: 16

* * *

**Chapter 2 - Stepping Up**

* * *

"Okay, Boom-Boom! You're up!" Gambit called to her. The backyard of the Brotherhood boarding house served as their make-shift training yard, and he had a hell of a time keeping the team under control. 

"I told you, Gumbo! The name's Meltdown!" The blonde haired girl quickly retorted. Gambit only rolled his eyes.

"Well maybe if you could decide on one and stick with it I wouldn't be makin' that mistake."

She only smirked at him and tossed a small time bomb between her hands. She walked to the centre of the yard and let her eyes scan the trees surrounding her. "Oh Frog-boy! Come out, come out wherever you are!" She pushed her black sunglasses down from her head and onto the bridge of her nose.

All it took was one small rustle of the leaves above her head for Toad to come out of his hiding place. He jumped from his spot on the branch and used it to propel himself at her, landing a massive dropkick to her chest. Tabitha scrambled to get to her feet. He opened his mouth to unleash his massive tongue at her, wrapping it tightly around her ankle and taking her feet out from underneath of her. She quickly began rubbing her hands together at a furious speed, producing handfuls of her time bombs. Toad seemed to have seen that however and took his tongue back; instead, he shot a massive wad of his dark green slime right in the direction of her face.

"Not so fast, reptile!" She yelled while back flipping out of his range. She opened her palms to reveal about a dozen glowing orange orbs, and swiftly began tossing them around his feet. Toad immediately went on the defensive.

"Toads are amphibians! How many times do I have to tell ya there's a difference, yo?" He whined. He began his own series of back flips, trying desperately to keep his strong feet from being blown away from his body entirely. As one dropped between his legs, he would flip backwards; if it landed beside him, he would do a series of cartwheels. Tabitha continued her bomb-bombardment until Toad had no where else to go - except to face plant a large oak tree. He tried to get to his feet, but only landed on his face again.

"Ha! I win!" She cheered and jumped into the air. "You can't beat me!" She pumped her fist in victory.

"Aw, man!" Toad peeled himself from the ground. "Gambit, can't you put me against someone else?"

The Cajun only rolled his eyes. "I _have_ put you against _everyone_ else. You'll just have to keep at it until you win one, mon ami."

Tabitha approached the green skinned boy and offered him a hand. "No hard feelings, okay? You almost did have me there…I'm just too quick!" She winked.

Toad accepted her hand and pulled himself up. "I was beat by a girl!"

"Again," Wanda muttered to herself from the back step of the house. She had watched the entire exchange with little interest. The training programs, if anything, were giving her target practice, but that was about it. She usually wasn't one for group activities.

"Okay, who wants to go next?" Gambit asked slyly. "I need to see a real fight around here." He nudged Lance who was standing next to him. "You up for a round?"

"Anytime, any place," Lance smirked, putting his helmet on his head. "You just name the opponent."

Gambit smiled and scanned the faces in front of him. "I'm a little bored of watching you kick Pietro's ass…"

"Hey!" Pietro complained. "I can take him whenever I want! He's just too boring to keep me interested!" Wanda had to smirk at that; leave it up to her brother to make lame excuses for his crappy ass performances.

Gambit, however, ignored him. "How 'bout Johnny?" Wanda's ears perked up at his name.

Lance grinned. "Bring it on, Pyro!"

"Beat his ass, flame-boy!" Pietro cheered rather girlishly, and smacked his hand on Pyro's shoulder.

Wanda rolled her eyes at him as she watched the pyromaniac make his way towards Lance. The first thing he did - like always - was power up his flame throwers, and laughed his ass off while doing so. She wasn't entirely sure why, but he had this deranged insanity when it came to his powers; they turned him into someone completely different than he was when he wasn't in combat. A very bright orange glow took over the backyard, followed by a slow vibration in the ground below her feet.

As the two boys began to fight, her eyes remained glued to the orange haired mutant in front of her. Her interest in him had been growing for months by that point, and it drove her mad. When he first came to live at the boarding house, she couldn't even stand the sight of him. All he ever did was run around burning things, he always seemed to be watching the weirdest movies, and he couldn't stay on topic if his life depended on it. He was just so completely scatterbrained that she couldn't keep up with him.

Then they began training.

Her very first fight was against him. Gambit and Lance had agreed that they would work on their hand to hand combat skills first, and then work on their powers when they were more experienced in a fight. The boys had always tried as hard as they could to make things equal between them and the girls - her and Tabitha - and at times it worked alright; sometimes her and Tabby even kicked their butts. Other times, however, the boy/girl sparring didn't work out so well.

Her fight with Pyro was one of them.

He laughed at her, he teased her, and he blatantly grabbed her ass. She had never really had experiences with boys in an intimate kind of way, so all of his actions had really gotten to her head. What threw her the most was the fact that he was so casual about it - and not clingy the way Toad was. She had become so flustered with him that she could barely keep up the fight, and she ended up flat on her back and pinned underneath of him. All she could remember was his hot breath on her neck and the smoke that his uniform reeked of, and the fact that he had no fear of her whatsoever. She hated herself for even admitting it, but it was such a turn on. Of course, it also helped that he was good looking…and not green and slimy.

The boy definitely lived dangerously and never chickened out of anything. At the same time, he was always so friendly and trustworthy. He could bring anyone out of a slump - even her, but she would never in a million years admit that to him. She tried as hard as she could to remain tough and cool around him - around all the boys - so that she would never be perceived as weak, or get trampled on because she was a girl. Acting rock solid was the only way to survive in a house like the one they lived in…unless of course the girl was Tabitha Smith - but everyone knew exactly how she survived in a house full of boys.

"Scarlet!" Gambit yelled, cutting her out of her reverie. She felt her face immediately heat up, and she glared.

"What do you want?!"

He rolled his eyes. "You wanna spar or not? I've been calling your name…"

"I don't even see the point of doing this…" She started, the glare never once faltering. "If some fucker tried messing with me I'd just melt his head off of his shoulders."

Gambit grinned at her. "Yeah, but you might as well learn to do it in style, right?"

"Whatever," She rolled her eyes. "Who am I fighting?"

He set down his clipboard and grinned again. "How about me?"

"You haven't given up yet, have you?" She asked, bored. "Face it, you can't blow me up."

"No but he can knock ya down and throw ya around pretty easily," Pyro laughed from behind her. Her face heated up, and she heaved a frustrated sigh; leave it to him to make fun of her not-so-great hand to hand skills.

"And I can throw you around too, so I'd shut my mouth if I were you!" She shot back as her hand glowed an eerie shade of blue.

He shot her a sultry grin. "Baby, I'm all yours."

"Wanda," Gambit cut in before she got really mad. "You wanna go or not?"

"Fine, but I'm using my powers," She said through gritted teeth.

"I don't think that will be necessary," Came a familiar voice from behind them. They all spun around and were met with the face of Mystique. "I think you've done enough work for one day. It's time for a team meeting."

"Where've _you_ been?" Pietro interrupted. "_We've_ been working our asses off! Do you have any idea what this does to my hair?"

"Shut up!" Lance nudged him.

"Blob, will you please put all of the training mats and sparring equipment away please?" She asked him in an authoritative tone. "Toad, get these dirty towels out of here. The rest of you meet me in the living room."

Wanda looked around at all the faces; everyone seemed to share the same look of shock that their leader was back. It had been many months since Mystique had shown her face around the boarding house, and now that she was back, Wanda had a feeling that things were going to change quite a bit.

"Oh, Gambit?" Mystique asked, in a frighteningly calm voice.

"Uh…oui?" He responded tentatively.

"You stay behind."

* * *

"What do you mean you want us split up?" Kitty Pryde asked her long time professor in exasperation. "We've been working so hard, and now you want us split up?"

Charles Xavier sighed as calmly as possible. "It's just into two teams, Kitty. I'm not disbanding you."

"But why?" Rogue asked. "Ah don't see the sense. Ah mean, couldn't we do more damage as one big team?" She had been part of the X-Men for a few years, and she wasn't exactly sure if she wanted to accept a change to something that had been working so well for them.

"The point isn't to do damage all the time, Stripes." The burly man known as Wolverine pitched in. "Besides, just one of ya alone is enough to cause a good amount of damage. Have ya walked around the mansion lately?"

Rogue rolled her eyes and looked at the Professor. "Well?"

"Logan's right, Rogue. The goal of our unit is to not fight, we only do so as a last resort. We formed to ensure peaceful coexistence between mutants and humans." Charles explained.

"But we just end up fighting anyways!" Kitty sighed.

"She's right," Kurt Wagner pitched in. "Besides recruiting, I can't ever remember going on a mission that wasn't a fight!"

"Charles, if I may," The white haired man known as Magneto stood from his seat and faced the students of the institute. "By splitting you up into teams we have the opportunity to take on more than one mission at a time. If the time comes to fight, however, we always have a back-up team in case anything happens."

"So are _we_ going to be part of this?" Iceman bounced in his seat excitedly, referring to himself and the other 'new' recruits. "I think it's time I get onto a main team!"

"Me too!" Amara chimed in. "We helped beat Apocalypse!"

Wolverine rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we know that."

"Those who we find are ready will be placed on a team while some others still have to do some more training." Professor Xavier clarified.

"Well, can we choose who isn't on our team?" Bobby asked again, clearly glaring at his growing rival, Havok.

"No Bobby, the team leaders have already chosen who they want on their teams." Magneto replied.

"Team leaders?" Kitty piped up excitedly. "Now that Scott and Jean are gone can I be one? I've been here long enough!"

"I've been here longer than you!" Kurt scoffed. "It would be me!"

"Only a week, furball!" Kitty rolled her eyes.

"And Ah can knock ya both out, so it should be meh!" Rogue interrupted.

"Ahem," Wolverine growled. "None of yas are team leaders! Magneto will be leading one team, and Storm and I are leading the other, and that's the end of that discussion."

"But I've been here longer than Magneto!" Kitty whined, not really knowing when to stop. She blushed, "I mean…like, yeah you guys would be awesome leaders!"

"Thank you, Kitty," Magneto replied rolling his eyes. "Now, if we could please move on."

"Yes," Charles agreed. "These teams are your field and training units, so these are the people you will be doing all of your exercises with for now on. I can only hope that we can do this without any fighting or hurt feelings."

"Yeah, so if Alex doesn't make a team, no hard feelings, right?" Bobby laughed as the blonde boy glared at him.

"I could kick your icy butt any day of the week!" Havok defended.

Rogue sighed; she was getting really annoyed with the arguing going on around her. "Bobby just hurry up and say your cheesy 'I'm too cool for you' line and get yer bickerin' over with already!" She turned back to the Professor; her impatience was finally getting the better of her. "Can y'all at least tell us which team we're on?"

Magneto cleared his throat. "Yes in one moment, please. Your new teams will also determine your new danger room schedules. My team will be practicing Tuesday and Thursday in the morning, and Monday and Friday after school."

Logan grinned. "And whoever ends up on my team will be getting Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, and Tuesday and Thursday after school."

"I hope I'm not on his team," Kurt leaned over and told Rogue; she was also silently praying that she didn't get Logan either.

"I heard that, elf," Wolverine perked an eyebrow at him.

"Forgot about old Super Ears, huh Kurt?" Bobby laughed at his friend until he too was scolded.

Ororo stood up. "Those whose names I call will end up with Logan and I. As soon as you hear your name you can go suit up; we have an afternoon training session." She smiled gently. "Havok…"

"Booyah!! See Popsicle? I even get called before you! What do you think about that, _dude_?" Alex laughed and stood from his seat. Bobby only glared and iced the floor under the other boy's feet, causing him to take a back first fall to the floor. "Ow dude!"

"I didn't do it," Bobby put his hands up in defense.

"Robert!" Magneto, Charles, and Ororo yelled.

"It will never happen again, I swear," He deadpanned. Rogue could only snicker at him; while she did enjoy the company of Scott before he had left to school, she couldn't say the same for Alex. The kid was surfer geek extraordinaire, and was always convinced that he deserved a spot on the main roster because of his relation to Scott. She had already threatened to kill him a few times so far...

"Nightcrawler," Storm continued, much to Kurt's dismay. "Jubilee, Cannonball, Berzerker, and Wolfsbane, and when Cyclops and Jean are home, they will also be part of this roster." The students all pretty much stood without much of another word, and continued on their way to the locker rooms. Storm nodded her head at the group and followed them out, and was soon after joined by Wolverine.

Xavier looked around the room at the rest of the students. "If your name is not called for the next team, do not fret. There are many duties that need to be fulfilled around the mansion until the time comes for you to graduate."

Magneto nodded his head and began. "X-23, you'll be with me." He looked towards the quiet girl at the back of the room and gave her a small smile. "I need a combat fighter like you." When she only folded her arms and nodded, he continued. "Colossus, Iceman, and Magma, you'll also be with me."

Rogue looked towards Colossus and wondered how he felt about that; it was well known knowledge around the institute that the tin man did not appreciate Magneto joining their ranks. From what she had heard, his family had been put into some sort of trouble because of Magneto.

"And that leaves Rogue and Shadowcat," He finished. "A smaller team, but I expect you to be just as effective."

"So I didn't graduate? But I passed my danger room exam!" Roberto argued. "That's not fair."

"I didn't make it either," Jamie Madrox mumbled. "I never get to go though."

"Boys, like I said, I have other duties that need to be fulfilled around the institute." Xavier explained.

"Yeah Roberto, we all know that the bathrooms in the boys wing need cleaning! And hey, there's always dish bitch after dinner!" Iceman laughed at the angry boy.

"Bobby!" Magneto scolded. "I would advise that you adjust your attitude."

"Right…" He scratched the back of his head. "Attitude adjusted."

"I have a new team of recruits that needs assistance in their own danger room tests. I would appreciate it very much if you boys could help Doctor McCoy with them when he needs it. His new medical lab will be up and running in a week, and that is going to give him less time for practice." Charles explained.

"You want us to teach, Prof?" Roberto's demeanor changed after that tid bit of information. "We can do that!"

"I know how to work the danger room!" Jamie announced, which gained him a few suspicious looks from the teachers. "I mean, uh, I can learn how!"

Rogue rolled her eyes at Roberto; he was always so cocky and she was kind of glad that he didn't make her team. The people she was with would be a handful in themselves - at least with Bobby and X-23 - but for the most part, she got along with them all okay.

"So, like, when do we start training?" Kitty asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon," Magneto replied. "For now you are free to go. I will expect you all to be there on time and suited up by four o'clock and no later. Anyone who is tardy will be given jet cleaning duty for one month. Am I understood?"

"Yes," Came a mumbled bunch of replies.

"You are dismissed."

The rest of the remaining students all stood from their seats and left the room. Rogue trailed behind, next to Kitty, and sighed. "So we get to work with old bucket head."

"It won't be so bad, Rogue," Kitty replied in her typical chirpy manner. "He's like totally turned over a new leaf since he's been here."

"Ah know," She replied quietly. "But Ah've heard some pretty nasty stories…"

"I don't know what Remy told you, but from what Lance told me…working for him is not so bad as long as you listen to what he says." She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Besides, I'm more worried about the fact that I have to work with Colossus."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you know because he's so frightenin'."

Kitty playfully slapped her arm as they approached the elevator. "No, silly! He's like, totally a cutie! But Lance can't stand him."

"Lance can't stand anythin' with a dick who's friendly towards you." Rogue deadpanned.

Kitty rolled her eyes. "He thinks that Piotr has a crush on me. He's just being jealous, like usual."

"What?" Rogue laughed sarcastically. "That doesn't sound like Lance at all…"

* * *

"Is there something that you'd like to tell me?" Mystique inquired after all of the rest of the Brotherhood had gone inside the house.

"I don't know what you're talkin' 'bout?" Gambit shrugged innocently.

"Is that so?" Mystique queried. "Well, then would you like to kindly explain to me why my daughter has been making visits to this boarding house?"

"Oh yeah…about that," He scratched the back of his head. "Magsy has been extra pissy since our team beat dem last week and all, so he went off and sent some of them x-kids over here…and you know, she came too…and then I guess she just totally broke right into da house!"

Mystique looked unimpressed. "And what does her being in your bedroom with you have to do with any of that?"

"What? You got cameras in this joint or somethin'?" He mumbled.

"You should really watch who you decide to bring around this place, Gambit." She warned.

"Oh come on!" He protested. "It's not like de fille can even touch dis Cajun anyhow! She ain't hurtin' no one."

She sighed irritably. "That's not the point. They are the enemy and we can't have them in and out of the house like that. I have a hard enough time dealing with Avalanche; I don't need you added to my list of problems as well. I don't pay you your salary for problems, are we understood?"

He nodded. "What ever you say…"

"You're team leader for a reason, so start acting like it," Mystique got up in his face and pointed a finger in his chest. "We have an agreement and I expect you to keep up your end of the bargain."

"And I have!" He yelled back angrily. "I got dese kids workin' their asses off, just like you asked. Dey're ready to go…just like you asked. I didn't read anywhere in the fine print saying dat I couldn't have a personal life!"

Her yellow eyes narrowed to the size of slits. "Well when your 'personal' life involves _my_ daughter, I _will_ have a say in it."

She turned on her heel and stormed into the house, leaving Gambit seething outside. From his talks with Rogue, he knew damn well that she and her mother were not close, and aside from Risty, they never even had much of a relationship at all. Mystique's lecture was nothing but a bunch of bullshit to him; he was just going to have to be more careful from now on. Now that the bitch lady was back, business was going to pick up which meant less time with Rogue anyways.

Mystique did pay him well, and while the house he was set up in wasn't much, the cash was enough to keep him there; he liked to work for the people who had the right price. He had also managed to make some friends while in the boarding house, so it wasn't too bad, but Mystique being back had put a damper on him already.

He was going to have to suck it up for the time being, but he wasn't known as a world renowned thief and master sneak for nothing.

_**TBC**_

* * *

**AN**: I'm sorry if that seemed to drag. I really do hate first chapters, lol. The purpose of this was to set things into place and introduce all the characters, and next chapter will be more focused on putting things into perspective. You can expect the chapters to get longer and longer (since I have so many characters and quite a few different storylines to deal with). I hope you enjoyed the start, and let me know if you think anything or anyone is out of whack. And please don't forget to review :) 


	3. Ground Rules

**A/N**: The Brotherhood in this fic is going to be quite a bit darker in terms of their missions and personalities than it was on the show, but they won't be as bad as they were in the comics. I think a group of teenagers like them would be a lot more troublesome and rambunctious than they were perceived on the show…but then again it was a children's show and they could only go so far, right? ;) Besides, they're more fun this way!  
Also, you will probably want to wring my neck by the end of this chapter. I apologize in advance. I kinda hate me for it too, lol.

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Ground Rules**

* * *

John watched Remy closely as he came into the room; he wasn't exactly known for being an empath, but he could tell that his friend looked mighty pissed off. Mystique had kept him behind, so it was quite obvious that his sudden mood change had to do with her. He knew just as well as the next idiot that Mystique wasn't exactly a pleasant cup of tea, but more like a bitter poison. He grinned at Remy as the Cajun sat next to him on the sofa. 

"Now that we're all here, I believe that we have some catching up to do," Mystique spoke loudly from the middle of the living room. "I do hope that you've been attending all of your training sessions."

"As if I need them," Pietro scoffed.

Mystique glared at him. "You may be quick, but you aren't all that smart are you?"

Pietro glared at her, but before he opened his mouth, his sister spoke for him. "Pietro shut up!" John smiled at the annoyed glare on her face.

"Thank you, now if we can get started," Mystique continued with an eye roll. "I've had you training for a reason. With Magneto gone, we now have to focus on the fight against humans without him. I expect that you all still feel this cause worthy?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Avalanche mumbled. "All they do is cause us trouble anyways."

"Yeah!" Fred loudly agreed. "Me and Todd got into a fight just the other day because they wouldn't let us eat in a restaurant!"

"And lord knows you don't get in between Freddy and food!" Tabby laughed.

"Good," Mystique nodded. "I will be sending you on your first mission in exactly three days. You will get a full mission briefing before you leave, and then I will be sending you to New York City."

"Do we get free subway tickets for that?" Todd joked.

Mystique turned and glared at him. "I have recently gotten my hands on some new modes of transportation, Toad. If you like, though, _you_ can walk!"

"I don't think the subway is a good idea anyways…" Pietro mumbled, earning him another glare from Wanda. John didn't know the back story on that one, so he would have to find out later.

"There is a man who I believe is heavily involved in an anti-mutant program in New York. I've gotten a few files and articles in regards to him, and I believe that he is of some interest to us." She put her hands on her hips, as if she were a pre-school teacher. "Are you all following me so far?"

From next to John, Gambit shifted on the couch. "We aren't goin' after another low life bum like Kelly, are we?"

"No, this man is a lot more serious than Kelly. I have reason to believe that he is actually the head of an entire hate group…much like the Ku Klux Klan, only against mutants." Mystique replied. "This man makes Kelly look like a cake walk."

Pietro fidgeted; he was obviously growing annoyed. "So are you going to tell us who he is already?"

She nodded. "His name is Graydon Creed."

Creed? John was awfully familiar with that last name. "Hey, isn't that the name of that ole furball we used to work with?"

"It is," Gambit nodded. "That's Sabretooth's last name."

"That guy was in serious need of a shave," Pietro commented off handedly.

John laughed at that. "At least he _had_ body hair, mate."

"Didn't need to know that!" Wanda shrieked. "And I don't even want to know how _you_ know that either!"

John shrugged amusedly. "Probably not."

Pietro rolled his eyes, completely ignoring John's comment. "So what's the deal? Are they related or something?"

Mystique nodded hesitantly. "I believe so. But despite Sabretooth, we will track the man until we get some more answers as to what he has going on."

"But if that dude is related to the old kitty-cat, won't he get all pissy if we're following him?" Tabitha asked curiously.

"No," Mystique immediately answered. "If Sabretooth was aware of Graydon's whereabouts, there would be no doubt in my mind that he would immediately kill him."

"So?" Gambit asked coldly. "If the homme has got some mutant hatin' shit goin' on, don't we _want_ him dead?"

John agreed with that one; hell, if it were up to him, he would fry the guy to a crisp, no questions asked. If they were fighting humans in some 'war' as they called it, then why would they want a guy like that around anyhow? It didn't make much sense to him.

"I want to know what's going on first. I believe that there is something really big going on that we don't know about, and we need Graydon to figure out exactly what that is. There are many people under him who are working for this organization, and for all we know they could be planning something even bigger than just a hate group." Mystique paused and regarded all of the faces around her. "And if the time comes that we need to dispose of the man, we will do it."

"Wait a second," Toad interrupted quietly. "You want us to kill people?"

She put her hands on her hips. "We will do what needs to be done to protect our people."

He frowned. "But don't you think that's a bit much?"

"If you can't take the heat," She began, getting a bit angrier that time. "You can go and join the X-Men. I'm sure they would love another human lover on their team!"

Toad looked around at all his teammates, who, John noted, were all staring at the floor. The room was filled with silence and heavy tension, and that seemed to bother the younger mutant. "No, I'll stay here," He whispered.

"Now, speaking of the X-Men…I think it's time that we lay some ground rules down. It has come to my attention that this team has taken great liberties while I've been away. If we want to succeed - and not have any disruptions - we need to stay focused on our tasks." She looked directly at Gambit, which did not go unnoticed by the other members of the Brotherhood. "From this day forward, there will be no house guests. That rule especially goes for anyone from the Xavier Institute."

John didn't really care for that rule given the fact that he really didn't know or like anyone who lived there (save for a couple of them that he could tolerate). However, the rule did create a stir for everyone else given their relationships with the people who lived there - girlfriends, friends, and fathers.

"You can't keep me from speaking to my own father!" Wanda shouted. "That's absurd!"

Mystique turned to her slowly. "Your father abandoned you here so that he can go and fight with Xavier. Xavier let him 'die' at the hands of Apocalypse and Eric has never done anything to help you! All they want is to help the people who want you dead!"

"But, he's my father…" Wanda stated as if it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world.

"This isn't the first time he's abandoned you! In fact, he's never been straight with you before and this is no time for you to be fooled by him now!" Mystique was about to carry on before Pietro sped next to his sister.

"We're fine with that!" Pietro stated all too quickly. John knew damn well that Mystique would not hesitate to inform Wanda of Magneto's mind wipe, and he wasn't all that sure that it would be such a wise choice to make on her part. "My sister and I will keep clear, don't worry."

Wanda glared at him. "Pietro! What are you saying? Are you crazy?"

He shook his head. "No, we'll talk about this later though, okay?"

Mystique perked an eyebrow at the twins. "Are you going to fight for your people, or are you going to side with people who've only hurt you in the past? I hope there isn't going to be any trouble…"

Pietro sent Wanda a pleading look; she growled. "No trouble…"

"We're with you," Pietro confirmed.

"Good," Mystique nodded. She then looked from Lance to Tabby. "Are we clear?"

"Just no bringing them _here_?" Lance asked.

"That's what I said, Avalanche."

He shrugged with a smirk on his face. "Fine with me."

"Also, try and refrain from using your powers in my house! I do not care if you are outside in the back, or out in the street, or whatever! But I will not tolerate you burning my house down, blowing my things up, knocking down walls and ceilings, or spraying toxic spit on my belongings! Are we understood?"

"Yes," Came a mumble of replies.

"Good, that being said, you can all take the rest of the night off. I want training to resume tomorrow afternoon, and again on Tuesday. Be suited up and ready for your mission by 9pm on Wednesday evening." She looked around the room for any arguments, and when she got none, she nodded contently.

"So are you back to stay?" Toad asked quietly.

"You aren't getting your old room back," Tabitha stated defiantly, much to John's amusement.

"Yes I am here to stay. I will be staying in the basement and preparing a new computer system for the house down there. It will be an out of boundaries area, you got that?" John snorted in laughter at that; she seemed to be growing increasingly angry for no apparent reason at all.

"Got something to say, Pyro?" She asked with a scowl.

"You can lighten up, ya know…ya don't have to look so _blue_ all of the time." He began laughing at her by that point, and she looked like she was going to blow a head gasket.

"This meeting is dismissed; get the hell out of my face!" She stormed out of the room at that, and left the Brotherhood members to themselves. Pietro quickly sped over to Tabitha, while Wanda sat quietly on the chair. Lance announced that he would be using the phone for the next little while, while Todd and Freddy headed to the kitchen.

"You're such a shit head, you know that?" Gambit stated while smacking him in the back of the head.

"I try, I really do…" John laughed.

"Well watch what ya say, I heard she has some evil torture methods."

John rolled his eyes and shrugged. "It's not so bad if you're a masochist. Some of us like that sort of thing."

"Right," He laughed. "I forgot about you and your weird fetishes."

John perked an eyebrow. "Not weird…perfectly natural." He turned his head and looked at Tabitha out of the corner of his eyes. "Hey mate, ya think I can ask ya something?"

Gambit shot him a look of mock surprise. "You're gonna ask me something serious, mon ami? Is the world coming to an end?"

"Not this week, mate," John laughed. "Do ya think Tabby's a scrag?" (1)

Both boys turned their heads in the direction of the said girl, who was near the doorway of the living room, rubbing her finger down Pietro's forearm. Gambit sat back in his seat and looked at Pyro seriously. "If I was you, homme, I'd kick her to the curb." With that, Gambit stood from his seat. "I'll talk to ya later, mon ami."

"Later," John mumbled, not taking his eyes off of the blonde girl. He had asked her out just over a month ago because he had thought she was fun, but he was beginning to have second thoughts; she seemed to always be hanging off of _everybody_, the same way she would hang off of him. He sighed and turned his head, and immediately noticed that Wanda was staring at her too.

Only difference was that she was glaring.

When she finally looked away from Tab, he caught her eye. He gave her a weak smile, but she didn't return it.

"I'm going out," she announced.

* * *

Lance closed the door to his bedroom and dove onto his bed with the phone in his hand. After a long day of training, plus the return of Mystique, he was ready for some much needed relaxation. The training itself took a toll on him; the limit of his powers was often questionable to him as he often felt that he had a lot of energy to put into them, but they did a number on his head. The more and more he used his powers, the more he was able to ignore the pain of the headaches and use them for longer periods of time. He was hoping one day to be able to overcome the headaches completely, but in the meantime he had to deal with them. 

He stared at the phone in his hand and wondered momentarily if Mystique would throw a hairy fit on him for calling the X-mansion. He and Kitty had been dating off and on since he was seventeen, and Mystique never showed much care for it until then, and that bothered him a little. He understood why she wouldn't want the X-Men finding out any of their plans - he knew just as well as she did that it would just cause a fight - but he and Kitty tried their best to keep their 'work' business 'work' business and they never brought up 'those' matters to each other; they liked to spend their time together focusing on more happier things than world domination and mass murder threats.

He wouldn't leave the Brotherhood because he had been with them for so long, and because he did believe in mutant rights and he wanted to fight for them. But there was no way in hell that he was going to just drop Kitty like a hot potato and never talk to her again; she wasn't only his girlfriend, but one of his closest friends. She was someone that actually made him happy in the midst of all the chaos and stress that surrounded them everyday, and he often felt like he needed her just to make it through the day, as corny as that sounded.

He quickly began dialing the familiar numbers and put the phone against his ear. It only rang twice before someone had picked it up.

"City morgue, you stab 'em, we slab 'em!" It was a male's voice.

"Um, who's this?" Lance asked.

"Oh, uh, this is Dr. Flesh'n'gook…I'm the man responsible for cutting people open and putting their organs in jars!"

Lance was about to retort to that when he heard another voice in the background. "Bobby! You're such a sick and twisted little puke! Who's on the phone?"

"It's for Kitty," Bobby replied to the other voice, which was a girl that time.

"Oh is it Lance? Tell 'em how we disembowel people too!"

"Let's not, you jerks! I can't believe how immature you guys are, argh!" The last voice was definitely Kitty's and Lance had to smile when he heard it. There was a small struggle on the other line before she finally won. "Hello?"

"And I still find it humorous that you say I have weird friends," Lance smiled into the receiver.

"You do! But Bobby _is_ a little jerk, and I'm sorry. He's just been on a retarded rampage all day and is acting like a brat." She laughed.

"I thought that was everyday?" Lance countered. "His brain must be made of ice or something."

"Yeah," Kitty laughed. "I'm starting to think so anyways. So do you, like, want to do something? I can come over, or…"

"I don't think tonight's really a good night," Lance replied quietly. "Mystique came home today."

"Oh?" Kitty sounded a little curious. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, we're under strict rules to stop 'engaging' with the 'enemy'. Something tells me she found out about Gambit and Rogue because she was pissed as hell at Remy." He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "She made a huge stink about it too…or else I would definitely come pick you up…"

"No," She cut him off. "It's okay, really. It's just kinda surprising considering things have been a lot smoother over the last couple of months. Jeez, it was just getting to the point where the Professor and Logan were even getting better with us hanging out with you guys."

"Well, Mystique hasn't been around for awhile…" Lance explained.

"I know, but ever since Apocalypse things have been different…I liked being able to hang out with you without anyone making any judgments."

That made him smile. "I know, I did too. We can still hang out, but we just can't do it here."

She laughed. "And I was just getting used to the smell of your place too."

He let out a snort of laughter. "Really? 'Cause I'm _still_ not used to it."

She led out a loud giggle. "Lance, you're a total geek!"

"I try," he rolled his eyes.

"Well since I can't see you tonight, when can I see you again?" She asked in a sultry voice that made him grin like an idiot; her flirting always got him feeling goofy.

"You name the time and place, and I promise I'll make it up to you," He replied.

"And _how_ will you do that?" She asked again, in the same voice. "Because I would _love_ it if you…"

He felt a shiver go up his spine, and he shook it off. "Please, Kitty? How many times do I have to tell you not to get me all wound up on the phone?"

She giggled. "But that's no fun!"

He laughed and rubbed his sweaty palms off on his shirt. "It isn't! I mean, it is if you're _here_ and all…but not when I can't…"

"Lance!" Kitty cut him off with a giggle. "Don't be a perv!"

"Okay, okay…I'm sorry." He grinned. "But you started it."

"Whatever you say! Look, I'm getting told to get off the phone by Logan, so…I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow. I hope everything goes okay with blue freak being there and all."

"Meh, it'll be fine." He shrugged it off. "I love you."

She giggled. "I love you too!" And with that she hung up. He tossed the phone onto his night table and stared at his ceiling; all the thinking he had done earlier flew right out the window and left his mind only on one thing…

* * *

Wanda pulled open the door to an independent coffee shop in downtown Bayville; she was not having a good night at all, and she needed some caffeine in her system - or something - to keep her from killing somebody. The place was one that she enjoyed because it was usually quiet save for the indie rock music they played over the store speakers. There weren't very many people that did go there, but the ones who did go usually were mutants, so she never really felt out of place. 

And that night was no different.

She noticed a familiar looking girl seated in the back of the café reading a book by herself. After Wanda had made her order, she headed toward the back to sit with her.

"What are you reading?"

Rogue nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of her voice. "Mah God! Do ya have to sneak up on people like that! You're almost as bad as mah brother!"

Wanda scrunched up her face. "Not _that_ bad; and I don't stink either."

"Touché," Rogue nodded. "So what brings yah here?"

"Had to get out of the house," She muttered. "I can't stand it there sometimes."

"So leave," Rogue shot. "No one's forcing you to stay."

"I know that," Wanda glared. "But where the hell else am I going to go? I'm sorry, but I don't think the gypsy lifestyle suits me all too much." (2)

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Ah didn't mean that. You could always come and live at the institute, ya know."

Wanda shook her head and took a long drink of her coffee. "I don't think so. I'd get in too much trouble, and there's too many people, and too many rules, and…"

"Okay, Ah get the point," Rogue laughed, holding up a gloved hand. "It's a little goody goody, but it's a good home, ya know?"

"Sure," Wanda casually replied. "It's not that I hate it at the boarding house, it's just that sometimes people there just drive me nuts."

Rogue rolled her eyes and set her book down. "God, Wanda, you're not pining over the fire bug again, are ya?"

"I don't pine!" Wanda contested.

"No, of course not; ya just get that stupid look on yoah face and ya get all mopey. Nope, ya don't pine." Rogue smirked at her; it reminded Wanda so much of Gambit that she wanted to slap it off of her.

Wanda growled, "You're lucky I like you, or that coffee would be on your face."

"Well that's okay; it's not hot anymoah anyways," Rogue grinned.

"Are you giving me an open invitation then?" Wanda asked grumpily.

"Not quite," Rogue pretended to think about it. "So what did he do this time?"

"Nothing…_he_ didn't do anything. He's just busy ogling his stupid girlfriend while she tries to get it on with my brother. He's such an idiot. I don't know how many times my stupid housemates have to realize that she's slept will ALL of them and will continue to do so." She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. "You'd figure they'd all be sharing a rash by now."

Rogue narrowed her eyes. "She has not slept with _all_ of them."

"I wouldn't be surprised if she did try with Remy though," Wanda mumbled.

"She's too young for him, and besides they both know they would die if such a thing ever happened." She downed the rest of her coffee and sat back in her chair. "So what has ya grumpier than usual today if it isn't Pyro?"

"My brother," Wanda muttered. "He's hiding something from me."

Rogue looked confused. "What do ya mean?"

"I don't know," She replied. "I think it has something to do with my father though."

"Well Ah'd tell ya if Ah knew, but unfortunately Ah don't. But speakin' of yoah dad…" Rogue trailed off.

"What about him?" Wanda asked suspiciously, and sat up straight in her seat.

"He picked meh to be on his team," She replied. "We got split into two new teams and he wanted meh to work for him."

"Good luck," Wanda snorted. "I know he's my dad and all, but he's a frigging control freak."

"Well Ah guess Ah'll have to see about that foah mahself. But there was somethin' else about him that Ah wanted to tell ya about." She explained, this time sounding a little more excited - which got Wanda curious. "He brought a new recruit to the mansion."

Wanda didn't see the importance of that. "So what?"

Rogue rolled her eyes. "So…none of us know where she came from, or who her family is. The only thin' that we know about her is that she has the exact same powers as yoah dad."

Wanda shifted uncomfortably. "So? Do you know how many telepaths there are in this world? Or people who can teleport? Or shape shift?"

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Ah know that! Those are common powers! But Ah've never seen or heard of anyone that has the same powers as Magneto! And she's only two years younger than you and Pietro…"

Wanda felt her blood starting to boil. "What are you trying to say, Rogue? That my dad was some man whore who had another kid somewhere just because she has the same powers as him!? Me and Pietro don't even have the same powers as him, and we _are_ his kids! And Kurt doesn't have the same powers as Mystique!" Wanda took a deep breath following her rant.

Rogue bit her lip. "But Kurt does resemble Mystique in ways, and Pietro is a spittin' image of yoah dad…and this girl she kinda looks like…"

"You know what? I gotta go. Mystique said she doesn't want us hanging around you guys anymore," Wanda downed the rest of her coffee and stood to leave.

"Wait just a second!" Rogue stood and grabbed Wanda's arm with her gloved hand. "Mystique is back? And why are ya leavin'? Don't get mad at meh!"

"Bye, Rogue," Wanda growled, and stormed out of the café leaving Rogue alone in her confusion.

* * *

Tabitha stared at the glowing numbers of the alarm clock next to the bed that she laid in. It was 3:30 in the morning and she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. It happened to her often at night, and even more so when she wasn't in bed alone. She wasn't sure if it was insomnia or not, but it just seemed as though her thoughts were running way too fast in her head for her to get any sleep at all. She wasn't even entirely sure exactly what it was that was bugging her. 

The guy in the bed next to her sighed in his sleep, and rolled over and put his arm around her. She cringed at the touch and quickly pushed it off of her, and gently dropped it back at his side. She liked John, she really did, but he was too clingy for her. He was fun - and funny - and he never got mad at her for all the crazy things she would do…which she guessed was because he was the one person in the house that was crazier than she was. But Tabitha always had a hard time dealing with guys who wanted to get too close and be serious. While she did like dating, and she especially liked fooling around, she had a hard time staying committed to people due to trust issues and feeling almost claustrophobic like - as if she was trapped.

She liked having free reign with her emotions and doing what she wanted with them. Most people considered that a bad quality and disliked that about her, but she just couldn't help it. Whenever she got to the point in a relationship that a guy considered her 'his' (as if they owned her or something) she ended up finding a way to mess it up, or would end it intentionally to give her an excuse to get away. She couldn't stand the thought of being tied down to someone; she only wanted to have a good time and avoid the emotional and angsty shit.

And besides, the thrill of having different people was a rush that she couldn't pass up; she was young and had a great body, and she wanted to take advantage of it. She didn't think that made her a bad person even if she did end up breaking someone's heart. Guys did it all the time and never got crapped on for it, so she figured it would just be sexist if it was bad because she was a girl.

She shook her head of those thoughts and threw her blankets off of her body. John rolled over again in his sleep and continued his light snoring. She bit her lip and grabbed one of his t-shirts and slipped it on over her head. If she couldn't sleep, she figured that she may as well clean or something.

At that time of the night everyone was usually in bed. She could have free reign over the TV, or actually be able to eat something without having to fight a five hundred pound man for it. When she got to the bottom of the stairs though, she heard the sound of the TV on. She perked an eyebrow and peeked her head around the corner of the wall.

"You retard! How could you not know that she was a man!? Look at 'it'! It has a beard, a bulge in its pants, and boobs! Come on!" Pietro was sitting in front of the coffee table watching a late night Jerry Springer rerun on TV.

Tabby chuckled and sauntered over to the couch. "What're you doin' up still, Pie?"

"Why are you not wearing pants again, Tabitha?!" Pietro smirked right back and moved over on the sofa so that she could sit down. "You do live in a house full of guys remember?!"

"How could I forget?" She scoffed. "Can't you sleep either?"

Pietro shrugged and played with a baggy he had in his hands. "I did sleep already. I don't sleep long; I don't need to."

She perked an eyebrow at the bag in his hands. "So you sit up all night and smoke weed?"

"Slows me down a bit I guess," He mumbled, which sounded really slow coming from him. It was when she got him alone and away from the guys that he would drop his cocky façade and actually talk to her like a normal person.

"It probably doesn't last too long though…the high, I mean," She pointed out.

He shook his head. "No, it doesn't, but I still need it sometimes. Everything is always fast for me; there may be 24 hours in one day, but to me it feels like 120!" He then smiled and tossed the bag on the table and began to roll up a piece of paper full of green. "And besides, it makes things less boring and gives me something to do. I gotta have something with all these boring people around!"

She scoffed, "Whatever! You think I'm too boring for you?"

"No, you're just too slow for me! You're as fast as a snail" He ran a circle around her before she could even turn her head.

"You have way too much energy, you know that?" She laughed at him as he lit the end of the joint. He then offered her a hit, and she accepted.

He looked her up and down with lust in his eyes. "Yeah, I guess I should burn some, huh?"

"I don't know about that," She giggled. "You might be too fast for me."

He licked his lips and sat back, and she passed him back the joint. "I've never heard you complain before."

"Because I wouldn't," She said in a more serious tone. "Not about you."

He grinned. "Why are you in love with me or something? I wouldn't blame you if you were, ya know, because I know exactly how you feel. I love me too!"

She had to laugh at that. "I figured as much, but no, I'm not in love with you!"

He shrugged. "Your loss, but I guess you always have Pyro to love and to cherish…god knows why."

She rolled her eyes as he passed the joint back to her. "Yeah I guess so."

"Trouble in paradise already, Tabs? That doesn't sound like you at all!" He scoffed. "Unless of course you're just bored, but I'd get bored of John too! He may be witty but he's way too dense."

Tabitha shrugged. "It's not that. He just wants too much from me and I don't think I can give it to him. I just want to be casual…"

Pietro smirked. "So be casual, no one's stopping you…certainly not me. In fact, I encourage it!" He took a big hit and grinned. "Free love and all that crap, right?"

She smiled at him. "And that's why I'd never complain about you. You're like the only person who gets what I'm saying, you know?"

"Sure," He replied. He leaned back on the couch so that their shoulders were touching. He perked an eyebrow at her and grinned. "Just remember that casual's not _that_ far away."

She leaned her head back on the sofa and stared into his eyes, which were tempting her in all of their mischievous glory. "I wouldn't forget."

Her eyes scanned down his face as he licked his lips and smiled at her; that was the last straw before she leaned in the four or so inches that were separating them and brushed her lips against his. He immediately responded and deepened the kiss by maneuvering his tongue into her mouth.

Any idiotic morals she had floating through her head before were out the window as soon as she laid back and pulled him down on top of her.

* * *

(1) Another word for slut or a promiscuous person  
(2) Wanda was raised by gypsies in the comics. 

**A/N**: Ugh, I don't want people to hate Tabitha for that even if it was a bit trampy, lol. I do like her character, but I just think she (and Pietro in a way) would have a hard time settling down with one person, so I'm just trying to keep her in character is all. Maybe you can see her point, maybe you can't…I don't know, I guess that just for you to decide! I hope you liked, and please review!


	4. Suspicions

**A/N**: So obviously Wanda's mind wipe is still in tact (if you haven't gathered as much already), so her relationship with Pietro and Magneto is different than it was in her earlier appearances in the show. I'd like to think that after Pietro came to her aid during the battle with Apocalypse, they worked on their relationship - and despite a certain amount of arguing and hexing - they will get along for the most part in this story. Pietro's attitude towards Magneto is based on his feelings in 'No Good Deed' (my favorite episode ever!).

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Suspicions**

* * *

John walked down the stairs of the boarding house with a frown on his face; his hair stuck up everywhere, and he only wore two mismatched socks and a pair of dinosaur boxers. The house was still quiet for the most part which probably meant that most of the Brotherhood was still asleep. He was usually up at a decent hour. 

He made his way towards the kitchen where he heard an Outkast song playing, and a familiar female voice singing along with it. He wasn't much of a rap lover himself, but he tolerated it for her sake nonetheless. Once he reached the room, Tabitha was dancing around the kitchen like a lunatic, using a spoon as a 'microphone'.

"Good mornin' Sheila. Why're you up so early?" John asked, forcing a smile.

She bit her lip and threw the spoon on the counter. "Um, I couldn't sleep, so I decided to wake up and make some monster grape jelly and marshmallow pancakes! You want some?"

"No grape jelly," He protested. "I like kiwis."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, your loss." She bent over as she searched through the large and fairly empty fridge. "I'm going out with Amara today."

He perked an eyebrow. "Erm, I thought ya said that ya wanted to go kick those old ladies' asses at Bingo today? We had a whole war plan and everythin'!"

She came back out of the fridge and shrugged. "Well I changed my mind."

He sat at the small table. "And ya didn't bother to even tell me?"

"Do I have to report to you every time I make plans to do something?" She put her hands on her hips and frowned. "You aren't my radar tracking device!"

"I never said I was!" He defended. "I was just wonderin' why ya keep blowin' me off!"

"Keep?" She stepped closer towards him. "I never once blew you off! You just think that we're tied off at the hip or something!"

He tried really hard not to get mad at her, but his emotions had started to get the better of him; he had no idea where her annoyance was coming from. "I had to drag ya away from Pietro just to get ya to hang out wit' me last night, and then I wake up and yer gone, and then now ya blow me off for yer girlfriend!"

She rolled her eyes and began dumping the powdered pancake mix into an old glass bowl. "Johnny, you act like it's a freakin' rule for me to wait for you to wake up."

"No it's not, but you were gone at 4 a.m. and a bloke does start to wonder..." He tried his best to keep up his most serious face, which was something that he usually failed at.

Her eyes widened at his remark, but she maintained her composure. "I just went back to my own bed; it's not a big deal. Your room was too hot."

"Then open the bloody window! What the bloody hell is wrong with you lately, love?" He raked a hand through his already wild hair and sighed. "Look, forget it, okay? Just have fun with fire-lady and do whatever ya want."

Her face softened. "I'm sorry, John. I'm not trying to be mean or blow you off, okay?"

He shrugged. "Whatever, I'm sure there'll be some bloke around the house for me to bother. Maybe I can play burn the speedy bugger again today."

Tabitha winced at the mention of Pietro. "You do that."

She turned around and continued making her food. To John, there was definitely something different about her, and it was really getting on his last nerve. He had woken up in the middle of the night to find that she had left him alone. It wasn't the first time that it had happened, but it still bugged him nonetheless. To get up early to make breakfast or go to the bathroom was one thing, but to get completely ditched in the middle of the night was another. She was now going out of her way to seemingly avoid him as much as possible.

He really was looking forward to kicking some old lady ass that afternoon too; they always freakin' won bingo!

He stood from his chair and stretched his limbs; he could feel the joints in his elbows and knees crack. "I'm gonna go have a shower."

"I thought you wanted something to eat?" She asked him. Her eyes glowed with guilt.

"No," He mumbled. "Don't worry about me, Sheila." He left the room and headed back towards the stairs. "It's not like ya ever do anyways."

* * *

Rogue stared through the rear view mirror of the X-Van at the people in the back seat. Kitty was riding shot gun, while Kurt, Bobby, and Ray had the far back seat. X-23, or Laura as she went by at school, and the Institute's newest student, Lorna, had the middle seats. Lorna had the ability to control metal and magnetism as well as certain gravitational pulls; her power was exactly the same as Magneto's. In fact, Magneto was the very man who had brought Lorna to the institute, which was another mystery in itself.

Lorna's powers were not detected by cerebro, and the Professor had no idea that Eric was bringing the girl in until she had two suitcases in her arms at the front door. She seemed as though she was comfortable enough in Eric's presence which was a little strange since Magneto often came off as very intimidating to a lot of the younger kids - hell, he even intimidated Rogue sometimes. But Lorna did not show fear around him; in fact, he was the only person Lorna seemed to go to for questions or help in regards to her powers.

Rogue had tried asking the girl a few questions when she was giving her a tour around the institute, and the answers that she got were interesting to say the least. The girl was raised in New York City, but was born in England. She was born only a year after Kurt, who was also born in Europe. Rogue knew from both Mystique's and Magneto's memories that Magneto was present in Germany when Kurt had been born, so it was entirely possible that Magneto had been in England a few months later with Lorna's mom. She had tried as hard as she could to sift through Magneto's memories, but the amount of psyches that she now had up in her head made it almost impossible to decipher one person's thoughts from the next, and there were a lot of different children in her memories whom she did not know.

What she did know, however, was that Wanda and Pietro had no idea who the girl was.

She pulled the van up to the curb in front of the school and turned off the ignition. "Alright y'all get out now." She unbuckled her seat belt and watched the boys follow the two younger girls out.

"I hope this place is like my old school," Lorna mumbled.

"Don't get your hopes up," Bobby replied, casually flinging an arm around her shoulder. "This school isn't too hot on mutants."

"But how will they know I'm one?" Lorna asked innocently enough.

"You, like, showed up here with us," Kitty stated apologetically. "They'll know because they all know about Xavier's. But don't worry, you just tell X over here if anyone bugs you."

Lorna looked over to X-23 who only stared at her mutely. "She doesn't even talk!"

Kitty smiled at her. "She just has to get to know you first, that's all. Just watch that she doesn't get all stabby on you."

X-23 snorted. "I would not try that. The green haired one controls metal, and I don't like that."

"Oh right," Rogue mumbled. "The whole skeleton thing."

"Chill out, ladies!" Bobby laughed. "I can be your personal body guard for as long as you want and free of charge!" He did his best to pass off his most charming smile to Lorna. "I am at your mercy."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Bobby, will you just show her where to go?"

He gave Lorna a goofy grin and grabbed her by the hand. "Come my lady, your tour awaits you!"

"Is he always like this?" Lorna asked with a smile.

"Ja, unfortunately," Kurt answered. "But I'm sure you'll get used to him."

She didn't say another word, and was led away by Iceman. Ray left soon after, leaving Kitty, Rogue, Kurt, and X-23 in the parking lot. Rogue sighed. "Does anyone else think somethin' is up with that girl?"

"Ja," Kurt whipped his tale before smirking. "Is that hair color for real?"

Before Kitty could smack him, he teleported into the school; she looked at Rogue. "She's, like, definitely got something to do with Magneto."

"Mah thoughts exactly," Rogue bit her lip as the three girls began walking towards the school. "Ah mean, take away that green hair and change her eyes blue, and you've got…"

"Wanda," Kitty finished for her. "I would've said Pietro, but that would've been mean."

"Who are these people that you speak of?" X-23 asked from behind them. She was listening in on their conversation, but Rogue didn't really expect her to be a blabber mouth anyways.

Rogue blinked. "Ya know who Magneto is, and Wanda and Pietro are his kids."

"If they are his children, why are they not living in our institute?" She was still a little curious about the whole family thing. "I thought that families were supposed to live together?"

"Long story, and way too complicated and messed up to even begin," Kitty cut her off. "You wouldn't want to know anyways; it would just confuse you."

Rogue nodded in agreement. "Don't worry about it, X. As for Lorna, Ah'm almost convinced that she's related to him…or somethin'."

Kitty giggled in delight. "Oh and you always tell me not to be so nosy!"

"Ah'm not bein' nosy!" Rogue defended. "Ah'm just curious; that family is more fucked up than mine is! And would ya stop makin' all them damn squealing noises?!" The first bell rang, signaling to the girls that they were late for class.

"Speaking of your family," Kitty started in her 'gossip voice'. "I heard your mom…"

"Don't remind me," Rogue cut her off grumpily.

* * *

Wanda headed up the messy stairs of the boarding house and stopped at the first door at the top. She raised her hand to knock slowly, but before she could even finish, a burst of wind flew by, opening the door and revealing her brother inside of the room. He looked at her and grinned. "Can I help you?"

She rolled her eyes and walked into his room, noting how disgustingly organized it was. "That depends on what you're willing to give up."

"I'm-not-giving-up-anything; I-don't-even-know-what-you're-talking-about!" Pietro ranted all too quickly for her taste.

She closed the door behind her and made her way over toward his bed to sit on it. "I want to know about father. What are you keeping from me?"

He dropped the magazine he was reading and gave her a strange look. "You talk to him more than I do,_ you_ tell _me_ what he's hiding!"

"Something's wrong and you're making me want to rip out your intestines when you act like this!" She yelled loudly. "Mystique said that he was a liar and you didn't even correct her!"

Pietro was cornered and both twins knew it. "You may think father is all high and mighty, but he's not…really. You have to stop putting him on a pedestal because he does a lot of stupid things! I mean, _we_ saved him from Apocalypse but yet he left us for the X-Men!"

Wanda frowned. "So why do I have the feeling that it's more than that?"

"I don't know, don't ask me!" Pietro scoffed, shifting uncomfortably. "I came after _you_ during Apocalypse, not him. I helped him because _you_ wanted to. What he does is his prerogative and right now I could care less."

"Have you always felt like this?" Wanda asked confusedly.

He frowned. "Sure."

"You've just been acting really weird lately and I think you're hiding something from me. Is it because we have a…" She stopped, not knowing if she should bring it up to him.

"A what?" He asked nervously.

"A sister?"

His eyes nearly bulged out of his head at that. "Is _that_ what this is about?"

"Well…yeah, what else would it be?" She asked; Pietro looked nearly relieved at that revelation and she had no idea why.

"Nothing," He said quickly. "We don't have a sister. At least, not that I know of."

"Oh, forget I said anything then." She felt more frustrated than ever at that point; she inwardly scolded herself for momentarily believing that crap Rogue had been spouting off to her the previous night. Whatever Pietro held against their father was definitely not shared by her, and that confused her. If her father had done something so wrong that would make Pietro not care about him anymore, why didn't she feel the same way?

And why was she the only person who didn't seem to know why he was such a bad person?

His joining the X-Men was definitely questionable to her, but she couldn't see that being the full reason why everyone in the boarding house had something against him. With the exception of John and Remy who worked for him, she couldn't even really remember any of her house mates having any sort of past with her father.

"What made you think about that?" Pietro asked her suddenly, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Think about what?" Wanda asked. She laid back on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Having a sister! That was pretty random," He stated pointedly.

"It was nothing," She sighed dejectedly. "It was stupid, just forget it."

He perked an eyebrow at her. "Come on! Just tell me! I wanna know!"

She glared at him and his stupid, annoying begging. "Just drop it, Pietro!" Her hands began to glow blue. "Rogue said something stupid to me and I know she was just lying so just forget about it!"

He rolled his eyes. "Well you can't just tell me that much information, and then not tell me the rest! That's against the rules!"

"What rules? Who made these stupid rules because I'll hex their head right off?!" She yelled.

"It wasn't one person, it's just in general! You have to say the rest now!" He argued stubbornly.

She sighed dejectedly and her hands stopped glowing. "She said there's a girl at Xavier's that has his powers."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Um, let's see! She can control metal probably! I don't know, Pietro! Exactly how it sounds!"

"So what does that have to do with anything? I don't control metal, and I'm his son…well at least I think I am…"

She rolled her eyes. "You were watching Jerry again, weren't you?"

"Is that a crime?" He smirked.

"I'm being serious here, Pietro! If you're not going to listen to me then fuck off!" She yelled angrily.

"Okay, okay, settle down! Don't get your panties in a twist!" He raked a hand carefully through his hair. "She's probably just some chick that has the same powers and that's it! Like how the Professor and red bitch both read minds! Two people can have the same powers and not be related." He stated matter of factly.

She nodded. "That's what I thought."

He stood from his bed and looked out the window. "I'm gonna leave for a little while."

"Where are you going?" She asked suspiciously as she too stood.

"Don't worry about it, I'm just going for a run," He smirked. "Maybe to Germany or something."

"I still haven't seen you run across water. I'll believe it when I see it," She folded her arms over her chest and perked an eyebrow.

"You can't see it; I'm too fast and you're too slow!" He stuck his tongue out at her immaturely.

"Well if you're leaving then let me give you a head start," She growled and hexed him right out his bedroom window and onto the front lawn. She ran to the window and looked down at him; he was laying flat on his back and was moaning. "Those were some fast reflexes, Quicksilver!"

"Some of the best…" He muttered as he pulled himself from the grass and shook his head. "That was _not_ necessary, Wanda!"

"And neither is your stupid attitude. I guess we both lose." She deadpanned.

"Nope, only you, loser!" And before she could even blink, he was gone. She growled and brought herself back inside of the house. It didn't matter if she and her brother got into deep conversations or not, he always reverted back to his annoying, fruity self. However, she did have to wonder if he thought about what she had told him. He didn't seem so truthful with his answers, to her anyways.

She sighed and left his bedroom.

* * *

"So there was this, like, totally huge shark! And when it almost bit my head right off, I just let out this, like, huge plasma blast right in its face! It was a huge underwater battle between me and the shark, and I kicked its ass!" Alex Summers smiled proudly and leaned over his desk. "And _that_ was how I got my powers! Pretty cool, huh?"

Iceman stared at him with a bored look on his face; he could not believe that Alex was blabbing about the stupid shark again! He tried so hard to impress chicks with his lame ass surfing stories as if surfing was the 'totally most coolest thing in the whole wide world'. It made him want to barf.

"That's pretty interesting, Alex," Lorna smiled at him from her seat in between the two boys. "Sharks are pretty scary."

"Nah, they are not!" Alex waved her off. "I fought one!"

"You already said that!" Bobby stated. "I'm sure you don't need to remind us _again_!"

Alex rolled his eyes. "Bobby, I know that you're jealous because you don't have a cool story about your powers, but just keep it to yourself, man!"

Lorna smiled at Bobby. "How did you find out about your powers?"

"It was nothing special…" He mumbled.

"See, Lorna? He's just jealous!" Alex exclaimed. "His story is so dull. There wasn't even a shark involved!"

"I'm from Long Island!" Bobby yelled at him. "Sharks don't swim up the street and eat people!"

"They do in Hawaii!" Alex replied. "I almost got eaten!"

"Alex, you already said that," Lorna told him. "And you shouldn't be yelling in study hall, you'll get us in trouble."

"Sorry, Lorna dude," Alex mumbled. "But we usually don't get in trouble for talking. It's like a free period."

Bobby watched as she stared at Alex; she had a bit of an annoyed look on her face, but it also seemed like she was trying hard to hide it. No matter how hard she tried though, her emotions always seemed to seep out of her, like she wore her heart on her sleeve. When she smiled, it was so bright it was infectious, and when she was sad, it made his own heart hurt. He hated to be cheesy, but he never met a girl who was that breathtaking. She had a full head of dark green hair that fell down her back, and matching green eyes. She had a smaller body frame; she was pretty short and really thin, but she didn't go out of her way to show off her body. She wore a form fitting black skirt that came down to her knees, and a dark purple tank top underneath a black zipper sweater. She looked delicious, but so pure.

"Bobby, aren't you going to tell me?" She asked with a smile.

"What?" Bobby asked, shaking his head.

"How you discovered your powers, silly! I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours," She proposed.

"Oh, I don't wanna…" Bobby started, but stopped when she pouted her lip at him. "Shit, he muttered. "I, uh…this is going to sound really stupid."

She smiled. "I won't laugh, I promise."

He saw Alex smirking at him from behind Lorna, and made a mental note to freeze all of his boxers later. "I, uh, knocked myself out."

"How?"

"I was, uh…in gym class. We were playing dodge ball…and I froze the ball in mid air."

"So how did you knock yourself out?" She asked with a small chuckle. Alex was already cracking right up.

Bobby bit back his anger at him. "I froze it in mid air when I put my hands up to catch it. When I saw that the ball had a layer of ice around it, I got confused and dropped my hands…and then it hit me in the face."

Lorna started to laugh. "I'm sorry for laughing and all, but that's just something I can see you doing."

Bobby rolled his eyes. "Whatever, no big deal; I told you it was stupid. Now it's your turn."

She grinned at him. "Mine's pretty stupid too."

"Probably not as dumb as his," Alex reassured her. "Who knows, it might even be cooler than killing a shark!"

She forced a laugh. "Um, well I was born with my first mutation," She wrapped a lock of green hair around her fingers. "But I discovered my other powers at my old school. There was this girl there named Annie…and we didn't get along so well. One day her and her friends shoved me in a locker."

"That, like, totally sucks! I did that to someone once," Alex chuckled.

Bobby looked at him as if he was the stupidest person on the planet. "Um, I'm sure that was like _totally_ cool, Alex."

"My foster mom was so mad when the school called her and told her that I wrecked the lockers. But my dad didn't mind so much; he felt bad for me." She stated.

Bobby nodded. "My parents sent me to Xavier's the second they met the Professor. People were pretty freaked out about what happened, and he had to fix everything."

"I wanted to stay in Hawaii and surf!" Alex exclaimed. "But _I guess_ I had to help with Apocalypse and stick around for my brother." He looked at Lorna. "Did you know my brother was the leader of the team?"

"No," Lorna told him. "I've never met your brother."

"Well, you're not a real X-Man until you meet my brother!" Alex stated matter of factly.

"Shut up, Alex!" Bobby rolled his eyes. "Your brother isn't even around anymore."

"I'm sure your brother is nice and all, Alex." Lorna assured him.

"Can you students quiet down back there?!" The study hall supervisor, Mr. Richards, scolded them. "I don't want to have to give you detention."

"It's not like Bobby doesn't already live in there anyways," Alex laughed, which earned a giggle from Lorna. Bobby growled and held his hand out inconspicuously, and froze Alex's shorts to his chair. A few minutes later, the bell rang, and the blonde boy was unable to stand from his seat.

"What did you do, Drake?" He asked angrily.

Bobby grabbed his books and made his way towards the door. "You act like I'm the only mutant in this world who can freeze things!"

"Well I don't think Storm did it!" He yelled back, but Bobby ignored him. "You better come melt this off of me!"

* * *

Pietro waited outside of Bayville High School behind a large oak tree. He wanted to see if he could find the so called girl that had Magneto's powers. After Wanda had gone to the asylum, Magneto had pretty much left Pietro on his own. He knew that his father was not proud of the twins due to their behavioral problems, and Pietro's own lack of mutant abilities (his powers didn't develop until he was well into his teenage years). Magneto had always kept himself tied up elsewhere, and the young boy often wondered where he was taking off to all of the time.

One morning after Eric had left the house, Pietro had snuck down into his basement and checked out some of his files. It was no secret that Magneto had all sorts of experiments going on, machines he was building, and other things. He had found all sorts of photos and writings about other mutants he had come into contact with…and some of them were even children. Being a child himself, Pietro wondered at the time why his father had all sorts of pictures of other little kids down there, but none of himself and Wanda.

Of course, his father caught him down in the basement and punished him, and then just a few weeks later he was in foster care. He never really got a chance to ask his father about the photos, but now that Wanda was bringing up the possibility of a sister, Pietro's curiosity was once again peeked. Could it be possible that there was another kid out there that Eric had after he had given up the care of his twins to someone else?

He didn't tell Wanda, but he thought that the chances were great.

The bell signaling the end of school had rung a few moments previous, but Pietro was yet to get a visual on any of the X-Men. He still had a bit of time before he had to return to the boarding house for training, so he wanted to get to the bottom of the issue before his time was up.

"Come on, where the hell are you losers," he mumbled to himself. He was just about to take off on a run to search for them when he heard a distinct sound from behind him.

'_Snikt'_

He felt his face pale. "Wolverine, I thought you were too old for school?!" He tried to joke. When he turned around however, Wolverine was not in sight. Instead, it was a short, brown haired girl. Pietro straightened up considerably and smirked. "Did you just fall from heaven?"

"Who are you, and who are you waiting for?!" She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pinned him against the tree with both claws on either side of the skinny boy's neck.

"I definitely wasn't waiting for some freak to slit my throat!" He scoffed. "Let go! You're wrinkling my shirt!"

"You smell like Magneto!" She growled at him.

"I do_ not_ smell like cheese and old people!" Pietro scoffed. "How dare you insult me that way!"

She retracted her claws and let him go. "You must be his spawn that Rogue spoke of."

Pietro perked an eyebrow. "Yeah, unfortunately I am. Where is Rogue? I want to talk to her!"

"She is in detention," The girl folded her arms. "Now I must walk home because she cannot drive me."

"Well that sucks," Pietro rolled his eyes. "It's not that far, don't be such a baby."

"I'm no such thing! I know how to kill people fifty different ways and I can strangle you with your own stupid arms!" She ranted.

"Well that is definitely something to be proud of," Pietro lulled. "And as fun as it was talking to you, I have to go find an X-Man."

"Then you can talk to me," She stated, once again unsheathing her claws. "You are quite annoying and I will not let you talk to them."

"I am _not_ annoying!" Pietro protested. "Everyone loves me! Boys and girls want me and want to be me!" He folded his arms cockily over his chest. "I bet even your bestial instincts are telling you to get with me."

She let out a growl, and quickly landed a spin kick to his chest. Once more, she kept him pinned to the tree, but this time with her foot. Pietro let his eyes scan down her long leg to her foot, where another adamantium laced claw slowly emerged from. He could feel the cool metal against his chest.

"Tell me what you're looking for," She said through clenched teeth.

Pietro smirked at her. "The one who controls metal."

"Your father?" She asked confusedly.

Pietro shook his head, his eyes never leaving hers. "No, the girl."

The short girl retracted the claw back into her shoe and released Pietro from the tree. "She is no longer here. She has left with Bobby Drake and Alex Summers."

"What can you tell me about her?" Pietro asked, this time trying to use a more friendly tone. "I promise if you tell me, I'll give you a kiss."

She narrowed her eyes. "I know nothing except that I do not like her power. If you ever kiss me, I will throw your slashed up body in front of a garbage truck."

Pietro sighed and sped around to the other side of the girl. "Are you sure you don't know anything?"

The girl stared at him for a few moments before speaking. "She smells like you."

Pietro furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you a dog or something?"

"I am not a dog! I am a person, you stupid idiot!" She yelled at him.

"Yeah, and a weird one at that!" Pietro didn't stick around to talk to the difficult girl any longer; he quickly sped back in the direction of the boarding house wanting to get away from the girl at all costs.

_**TBC**_

* * *

**A/N**: Well, I have nothing left to say except that I have a shameless plug for a Jonda one-shot that I wrote quite a few months ago. It's called 'The Time to Hesitate is through' and you can find it on my profile page. It's the only other XME fic I have posted so far. So check it out! I hope you like that, and liked this too, and please don't forget to review :) 


	5. Security Breach

**A/N**: This chapter is mostly an X-Men chapter. Sorry 'bout that. There will be some Gambit and Mystique here though. I hope you all don't mind. :)

* * *

**Chapter 5 - Security Breach**

* * *

Gambit sat perched on the top of the ten foot concrete wall that surrounded the Xavier Institute. He gave the Professor some credit; he had one of the most advanced security system setups that he had ever come across. 

But it wasn't good enough to keep him out.

The estate grounds went on for many acres around the building, and between the wall and the mansion stood many sensors, lasers, missiles, and other security measures. There were also the three guard dogs that lived there - whom he had to evade in the past - known as Wolverine, X-23, and Wolfsbane. However, he had shown up to the Xavier mansion enough times that he had learned the good and bad spots in the yard. He was aware of the exact area of the surrounding wall that stood adjacent to Rogue's bedroom window, and from there how many robotic machines stood in his way (he only had to set them off once to figure it out).

Since the mutant fight against Apocalypse, Xavier and the other X faculty were a lot more open minded in terms of their students hanging around with the Brotherhood. Because of the help they provided the team, and the sense of unification that went on during the whole process, Xavier tried to remain as open minded as possible, albeit it was with some caution. That being said, Gambit didn't necessarily _have_ to break through security to get into the mansion, however it was the only way he was 'allowed' in Rogue's room.

His ears perked up slightly at the sound of a motorcycle starting up in the distance, and only a few moments later, his red on black eyes followed the figure of Wolverine rushing down the driveway and toward the street. Gambit pulled out his staff and quickly jumped off of the wall and onto the grass. Wolverine's bike drove by on the street behind him, signaling to him that it was the safest time for him to go. He took off in a dash across the yard, springing and leaping every few feet to evade the alarm sensors.

Once he was about fifty feet away from the wall, he came across a large willow tree. He ran harder at it, using his bo to propel himself up onto the lowest perch, and successfully hid himself amongst the 'weeping' branches. He took himself a few feet higher until he was high enough to jump onto the balcony.

The girls almost always left their patio doors open that time of the year; with the security features, he was pretty much the only person with the nuts to try and break into their room anyways. Kitty had never really posed a problem for him when he made visits to the room that she shared with his girlfriend; she always went on gushy rants about him being so daring and romantic. It obviously pissed the hell out of Rogue, but he got a kick out of it.

He pushed back the dark blue curtains that fluttered in the wind, and scanned the room before completely stepping in. Neither of the two girls was inside, so he decided to wait around for just a few moments to see if that they would come in. The room was a total disaster area - like usual - so he had to hop around a bit so he wouldn't kill himself just walking in there. How two confident and classy girls like them were that messy was beyond him. He fell back onto Rogue's bed, and took in the smell of it.

It sure beat the smell of the house he lived in.

The whole mansion seemed kind of quiet, so his guess was that they must have been training down in the danger room that afternoon. He sighed and rolled over on his side, and that was when he noticed the strip of pictures laying on Rogue's night table. He perched himself up on his elbows and grabbed them. They had taken them in one of those two dollar photo booths in the mall one day. He had finally talked her into getting her picture taken with him, and the first three turned out rather successfully, but John and Pietro had crashed the last one.

"Ya find somethin' interestin', ya snoop?" A sweet Southern twang filled his ears, and he grinned.

"Yo' sweet face is always interestin', chere," Remy drawled, and placed the pictures back in their place. "Just feel glad I wasn't snoopin' anywhere else."

"Well if that was the case Ah woulda just kicked yo' swampy ass," She entered the room fully and closed the door behind her. "What are ya doin' here?"

"I jus' wanted to see mon belle fille, if ya don't mind," He smirked and sat up on the bed.

"Ya know, we do have a front door, swamp rat," Rogue grinned and tossed a towel down that she had brought up from training. "Ya don't need ta keep breakin' in here."

"Ah, but this Cajun don't enjoy family time in the X-livin' room," He pointed out. "I'd rather have ya alone. Besides, it's more excitin' this way, don't ya agree?"

She rolled her eyes and sat down next to him. "If that puts ya to sleep at night."

"Any thought of you in my head puts me to sleep at night."

"Ah don't even want to know why," Rogue muttered. "So why didn't y'all tell meh that Mystique was back? Ah was hopin' that she was gonna be gone foah good."

Gambit bit his lip and put a hand on her shoulder. "I haven't even gotten the chance to see you since she came back," His fingers made their way up to her hair, and he began playing with a strand. "She's not gonna get in the way of anything, I promise you."

She turned to face him. "Ah won't give her that chance."

"I know ya won't," He murmured to her softly. "And I won't either."

She gave him a small smile before she laid down on the bed next to him. "Not even for all that money she pays ya?"

"That don't mean a thing," He reassured. "Money can't buy me a new Rogue!"

She perked an eyebrow. "Ah hope not; that would be kinda strange."

"You kiddin'? I would buy dem all so I could have a whole bunch of you at once!" He joked, which earned him a smack to the chest. "But I guess if I had dat many of you I probably wouldn't survive the abuse."

"Ah'm too tired to abuse ya right now, Cajun," She yawned and rested her eyes. "Ole bucket head sure does know how to tire a gal out."

Remy's eyebrows shot up. "That sounded so wrong!"

She grinned. "What if it wasn't wrong?"

"Dis here Cajun would drop dead of a heart attack, that's what!" Remy overdramatically grabbed his chest.

"Well if that's the case," She laughed. "He drove meh pretty hard today!"

"Chere!" Remy scolded. "Dat's enough of that!"

"Yer the one with yoah mind in the gutter!" She laughed at him. "I'm talkin' about workin' on mah powers and trainin'. I have no idea what yoah referrin' too."

He shuddered. "You're one evil girl, Rogue."

"No, Ah'm on the good guy team, remember?"

He rolled his eyes. "If dat's what ya wanna think. How are things comin' along wit' your powers anyways?"

Her face fell at that question; Remy knew she tended to get pretty self conscious about her powers. He really wanted her to open up to him about them so that he could do whatever he could to help her with them. He had his own problems when he was young with his powers being out of control, so he knew exactly what she was going through. Her being able to touch would be a reward in it all, but his first and foremost concern was getting her to a point where she could trust herself enough to really focus on what she was trying to do. He also wanted her to be able to fully trust him as well, so that he can be there every step of the way to assist her any way he could.

"Same old shit, diff'rent day," She sighed. "But Ah don't wanna sound like an angst case talkin' 'bout this, okay?"

He smiled at her and kissed her hair. "No worries, mon chere. We take it one step at a time, non?"

She gave him a shy smile. "Yoah sure ya wanna wait around foah meh? There's so much moah out there foah ya…"

He placed a gloved finger against her lips. "I'd wait a lifetime, Rogue. You're all I need."

"Why?" She asked.

"Ya need to stop thinkin' you ain't good enough for this, chere. I stick around 'cause I care 'bout ya. What's so hard to believe about that?" He gave her a sincere smile.

"Ah can't give ya what ya want…"

"Who said that's what I want?" He interrupted. "I want ya around, and that's good enough for me."

"Even if Ah call ya swamp rat and tell ya that ya smell like gumbo?" She grinned.

He nodded. "Especially if ya do that," He tangled a finger through her hair. "…River rat."

"What did ya just call me?!" She scoffed. "The nerve of some people!"

He laughed out loud at that. "Oh come on, chere? I thought ya liked rodent pet names?"

She growled playfully and shoved him right off of the bed and onto the floor. "Then ya better sleep where the rodents belong!"

"In this mess?" He joked. "I doubt a rodent would even wanna go through dis."

"Hey! This is cleaner than it has been!" She defended.

"Tsk, tsk," He playfully scolded her. "I don't know what you two girls are gonna do; ya can't cook _or_ keep a room clean! What's a homme to do about you filles?"

She jutted her hip out to the side. "Is that what ya think, Cajun?"

"Well, I have a feelin' I should take that back before I have to sign my own death warrant."

She walked toward the balcony doors and gestured to them. "And Ah have a feelin' ya should take off befoah Ah get called down foah supper."

He swooped down in front of her and fell to his knees. "But what would ya do with out this Cajun?"

She perked an eyebrow. "Ah wouldn't go crazy, Ah know that."

"But there isn't another homme around as nearly as good looking!" He scoffed. He pulled her gloved hand toward his mouth and gently placed a few kisses on it. "And ya would miss me."

She rolled her eyes. "Like Ah would miss a rash."

"Chere, ya wound me," He got to his feet and headed out the door. "I'll remember that next time ya want something from me."

"Call meh later, swamp rat," She called as he jumped from the balcony to the branches of the willow tree.

"Your wish is my command, mon amour." And with that, he swung off the tree branch and landed on the ground gracefully. The sun was getting ready to set, and the lawn of the mansion shone in the light. Once again, there wasn't another body in sight, so he quickly pulled out his staff and made the fifty foot run to the wall, where he catapulted himself up. One last time he scanned the perimeter to make sure that he was alone. When he was content with what he saw, he quickly pulled out a playing card and charged it up. He jumped off of the wall onto the street side and tossed the card onto the security perimeter on the other side - instantly setting off the alarms.

He let out a chuckle as he made his escape. "Well, chere, there's somethin' to remember me by."

* * *

Mystique looked at her handiwork and grinned; her computer system was now completely set up. She had started her own database on known mutants - both allies and foes, as well as a list of agencies, groups, and political parties that were targets on her 'anti-human' list. She also made it a point to install software that would allow her to create records for her team, training methods, and mapping devices to completely pre-plan their missions. She had spent the entire two days that she had been back setting it up, and everything was finally in working order. 

The only time that she had left the basement that day was to oversee the afternoon's training session. She had been mostly pleased at what she saw, but she had also picked out quite a few flaws that had bothered her. In her opinion, the two girls really needed to step up on their hand to hand combat moves; they were much too reliant on their powers to get them out of a jam. One on one sessions were definitely in store for them. She also had a feeling that the teenagers were holding back on each other in practice. Of course, she didn't want anyone getting injured before their first mission, but she was worried that if they were holding back now, they would hold back on the field.

In fact, the potential that she saw in certain mutants on her team was so astounding that she was almost tempted to run a few exercises and tests on them herself to find out the true limitations of their powers. Lance, Wanda, and Remy all stood out to her in terms of power potential; if they had some more time to learn to channel all of their energy towards their powers, the possibilities would be endless.

However, she did not have the technology and equipment to do it. In her time and experience with such things, it was always Magneto that had conducted such experiments. She was always astounded with the things that he built and the results he produced, but she had never been the one to quite understand exactly _what_ he did. Her job in their partnership was to collect data, information, and specimens. She excelled in stealth and raids, while he was the scientist.

It was her stealth that had assisted her in obtaining Wanda's information and location, after all. On the disc that she 'borrowed' from Xavier with all of her information, he had also possessed profiles on almost a dozen other teenage mutants that he had been in contact with. She knew a few of them were working for another mutant man named Tony Stark in New York City, and she also knew a few more of them were tunnel dwelling Morlocks. There was, however, one particular mutant on there whom she knew would be of great assistance to her. Not only could she help Mystique in combat and strategy, but she could also help her with the technology and equipment that she lacked…and help the team tap into that energy potential.

Charles Xavier's data was very thorough and detailed. From the disk, she was able to pinpoint locations and areas of residence, details on the mutants' powers, family history, and all information pertaining to the meetings between the Professor and the profiled mutant. The one she had interest in had been in contact with Charles Xavier for the past eight years.

She looked around her desk and spotted the disk and put it into the CD ROM drive of the computer. Instantly, she was given a list of names:

_Beaubier, Jean-Paul  
Beaubier, Jeanne-Marie  
Braddock, Elisabeth  
Danvers, Carol  
Frost, Emma  
Haller, David  
MacTaggert, Kevin  
Maximoff, Wanda  
Rushman, Sarah  
(Unknown), Tessa  
Thurman, Neena  
Wilson, Wade  
Wisdom, Peter  
_

The name she was interested in was the one on the list that she knew for sure she would be able to persuade to join her cause. Charles Xavier had such a way with filling the minds of scared children with lies and empty promises that it almost made Mystique herself envious. The girl _would have_ been a valuable asset to his team, instead Charles chose to hide her and use her to do his dirty work. Mystique was certain that once the mutant was freed from her current position, she would be looking for revenge on the Professor.

As soon as the Brotherhood had initiated attack on Graydon Creed, their next target was going to be the Hellfire Club.

* * *

_INTRUDER ALERT! MANSION DEFENSE SYSTEMS ACTIVATED!_

Rogue rolled her eyes and watched out her bedroom window as the defense grids of the yard began ascending from the ground. That damn Cajun did every last thing to get on her nerves, and it only figured that after a charming little afternoon visit he had to cause some trouble. She turned on her heel and walked out of her bedroom just in time to see the rest of the mansion's students rushing towards the stairs and front lobby to get a piece of the action; it was too bad they were going to be disappointed.

As she began to make her way down the stairs, she got a telepathic message in her head from the Professor. 'Can Magneto's team please meet in the war room, please?' She had to laugh as a small group of the foyer mutants stopped what they were doing and groaned.

"What the hell is going on?" Bobby called from somewhere behind her.

"Ah'm surprised it wasn't ya goofin' off again, Bobby," Rogue joked.

"I resemble that remark!" Iceman scoffed, which earned him a giggle from Amara, who wasn't far behind.

"Really?" Kitty cut in, as she came down from the ceiling above them. "I figured you were trying at the doofus look!"

"What the hell is a 'doofus' look?" Bobby asked in exasperation. "I've never even freakin' heard of that!"

Kitty laughed as the four mutants approached an elevator. "You can be so dense sometimes!"

They all piled in, bickering and teasing Iceman all the while. The alarms in the Institute were still going off, but the noise level was nothing new to Rogue. She sighed as the doors opened and revealed the subbasement. She led the way to the War Room, without saying a word to her teammates.

"Hurry in," Magneto gestured to the mostly metal room. "I do not want to waste any more time."

Kitty shot Rogue a look. "Like, what's going on? Is something bad happening?"

X-23 and Colossus were already seated, so the four mutants quickly assembled around the table. Professor Xavier was also present, and he was positioned next to the room's holographic image projector. "I would like to thank you for coming so quickly."

Rogue bit her lip. "Is there some kinda emergency?"

"It was a false alarm," Magneto stated, all the while glaring at her. "This time. Next time, we may not be so lucky."

"Well then, I guess we can all _chill_ out, huh?" Bobby folded his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. "No sense in getting all worked up over nothin'."

"It is not 'nothing', Robert!" Magneto scolded. "There was a member of the Brotherhood who was lurking around the property!"

"What's the big deal?" Kitty asked, confused. "I thought everything was fine between us?"

Professor X folded his hands in his lap. "We have reason to believe that the Brotherhood is acting on a new agenda."

Rogue bit back her anger and annoyance at the statement. "I don't think the 'attack' - if you can call it that - meant anything, Professor, with all due respect."

"Rogue, I know who our visitor was today, and I can't say I'm too impressed with his actions," Professor replied as politely as possible. "I know that there are friendships and personal relationships involved between our teams and theirs, but we must proceed with caution now."

"Why?" Bobby cut in. "It's not like they've blown up the mansion again or anything."

"Not funny," Magneto scolded him. "We have learned that Mystique is back with the Brotherhood. During her time away, Charles has done extensive tracking on her using cerebro. Most of the time, Raven can evade its use because her power usage is so unique and erratic, but we managed to keep up with her."

"What's the bitch been up to?" Rogue seethed. "'Cause I can bet it's no good!"

"Our thoughts exactly, Rogue," Charles confirmed.

Magneto stood and turned on the projector, revealing a large map of the country. "Mystique has been linked to Arizona, California, Washington State, New York, Nevada, and Texas. All of the sites she had been seen using her powers with Cerebro revealed top government facilities, various scientific research facilities, and various quarters of the Hellfire Club."

"What is that?" Kitty asked. "That doesn't sound too good."

"The Hellfire Club is a secret society belonging to very rich and powerful individuals such as business men and politicians," Professor Xavier explained. "There is a lot of money and power that passes between their walls, as well as secret gatherings and information. I have been keeping tabs on them for quite a few years now, but their technology and inner circles are very advanced and restricted. We have reason to believe that they may be withholding many secrets in accordance to mutant advancement in society."

"So a bunch of rich snobs?" Bobby scoffed.

"Why don't we just take them out?" X-23 offered.

Magneto sighed impatiently. "The Hellfire Club is much more than that. Their inner circles consist of some of the most powerful mutants on the planet - including immortals."

"Immortals?" Colossus queried. "What is that word?"

"Immortality is a mutant power that ensures the mutant host can never die. They have a constant regeneration rate, and most have been around for centuries." Professor explained.

"Like Apocalypse?" X-23 asked.

"Precisely," He confirmed.

"So what would Mystique want to do with them?" Kitty asked reluctantly, asking the question before Rogue got a chance to. "Her mingling with them does not sound good."

"We are not entirely certain yet," Magneto replied. "Which is why we are concerned. Mystique has been frequenting these areas for the last seven months now, and we have reason to believe that she is gathering information against anti-mutant regimes, and large weapons facilities."

Rogue bit her lip. "Anti-mutant regimes? Isn't that somethin' _we _should be lookin' into?"

"Mutant and human relations are not on a very positive note at the moment, Rogue. If we were to look into every organization that did not approve of mutants, we would be completely overwhelmed. We have no reason to believe that there is a threat of life from these organizations." Charles explained. "If there was an act brought upon by these regimes, then we would act only to prevent loss of life."

"So we just wait for an attack and then make a move?" Iceman scoffed. "That doesn't sound very smart to me."

"And if these places aren't a threat, then why is Mystique so interested?" Rogue countered. "She doesn't do things for the sake of doin' them, and you of all people should know that." Rogue pointed out to Magneto.

"I am very aware, Rogue, and we are doing our best to look into it. Which is why we are asking you to proceed with the Brotherhood with a great deal caution from now on." Magneto folded his arms in an authoritative gesture. "We are under the understanding that they have been training in combat techniques, and they have acquired a great deal of equipment and weapons."

"That's absurd!" Rogue scoffed. "Ah've never seen any of that!"

Professor sighed. "You have to be prepared, all of you. What you see on the outside may not be what is actually occurring behind closed doors. Their ranks have expanded, as you know, and they are now a formidable team. With Mystique as their leader, they may be planning an attack at any time, and we must be prepared for that."

Kitty's face fell. "Lance would never do anything like that, Professor! I know him, and nothing is going on!"

"Kitty, we must be prepared," Magneto repeated. "It may not be an easy task due to your personal relations - my own children are active members of this group. But I know better than most exactly what these mutants are capable of, and the lives of many humans are at stake." He gestured to the marked areas of the maps. "Mystique would have had access to many weapons and top secret files in these vicinities. Her team will follow in her command without question. Mutant rights are very important to them."

Rogue felt a deep, sinking feeling in her chest. "And what if they are up to somethin'? What do we do then?"

"Then we deal with them accordingly, like we have in the past," Xavier clarified. "They have the potential to start a war between the humans and mutants if they make one wrong move. The last thing we need is a registration act, or the Sentinel program restarted."

"So why our team? Why not Logan's as well?" X-23 asked.

"Your team will be held personally responsible for tracking the Brotherhood and keeping tabs on Mystique and her plans." Magneto stated firmly. "All personal issues will be set aside, and you will stick to the task at hand. The moment the Brotherhood strikes, you will be responsible for intervening."

Rogue did not like that at all; the sinking feeling in her chest had pretty much fallen right into her stomach. One of her greatest fears were coming to light, and that was that she would have to fight Remy again. They had gone through so much in terms of trust and friendship between them, and it broke her heart that it could all end at any moment. She knew that things could easily get complicated from the beginning - they were on opposing teams after all. But since the defeat of Apocalypse, relations between the two teams had improved greatly, and fighting was kept to a bare minimum.

"So why do we get baby-sitting duties?" Bobby rolled his eyes. "Can't we just give this to Logan's team and get a real mission?"

"Given the make-up of Logan's team, they are well suited for the mission that they have been assigned. We have a much broader ranged team in terms of powers that is essential to match up with the members of their team." Magneto explained. "This may not seem like much now, but we are certain that this will escalate into much more."

"And if it doesn't?" Kitty asked hopefully.

"We'll send them a sorry card," Magneto deadpanned.

"That being said, you are instructed to look for and report any sort of suspicious activity. You are to train against simulated holograms of the Brotherhood in the Danger Room for at least two sessions per week." Professor scanned the faces around him quickly. "There is no need for any unpredictable behavior from them. Magnus has worked with every one of those mutants, and he is our best bet to gather intelligence about each and their talents."

"I also know my former comrades," Colossus pitched in. "Although, I would not like to hurt them if necessary."

"Agreed, Piotr," Professor nodded. "Any violence taken against them will only be a last resort. We do not want to cause a rift between us, especially after all this time."

"So ya think spyin' is any better?" Rogue's voice rose. "Ah'm sure they'll just be peachy keen about that!"

"Rogue, we are not spying," Charles corrected. "We are merely being precautious."

"And the diff'rence is what?" She spat.

"Rogue if you could please control your anger!" Xavier scolded. "Please do not be angry with me! I am depending on this entire team to ensure the safety of the human and mutant population. Our goal of peaceful co-existence is near impossible if they pose a terrorist threat." He looked directly at Rogue. "You are a very bright and brave girl, and I know that your heart lies in the right place."

"But at what price?" She asked, her tone a lot more defeated that time. "Mah happiness? Mah friendships? Ah know Ah have to do what's right, but that does not mean that Ah like this one bit." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "Ah'll do whatever you ask of meh, Professor, and ya know that. But keep in mind that Ah have every right to be angry about this."

"I apologize for your feelings," He stated sincerely. "I'm sure everything will fall into place for you all naturally."

Kitty looked at Rogue with - what she deciphered as - a heart broken look on her face. "We can't let anyone get hurt."

Rogue nodded and stared hard at the floor. "Ah know."

Magneto stood before the two girls and sighed. "I will also have to go against old friends and my children. This may be very difficult, but it is very important that personal issues are set aside and our focus is on our goals." Rogue knew he was right, but didn't want to say it out loud again. He continued, "We track them for now and ensure that no one's safety is at stake. If all is fine and well, we will retreat. We will take this task day-to-day. You may continue to go ahead with your personal lives, but be advised that house guests will now be kept minimal, and professional objectives are first priority. Are we understood?"

"Yes, sir," Came a mumble of replies from around the round table.

"Good. Mission starts effective immediately. We will hold an additional training session tomorrow afternoon. Please be on time. You are dismissed." Magneto switched off the holograph projector, and turned his back to the team.

"Can you believe this?" Kitty exclaimed. "This, like, totally sucks!"

Rogue nodded solemnly as the rest of the team began to clear out. "Yoah tellin' me."

"What should we do?" The younger girl asked.

Rogue bit her lip. "Whaetevah we have to."

_**TBC**_

* * *

**A/N**: Hope you enjoyed! Please don't forget to review! 


	6. Complicated

**A/N**: Alas, I will be getting to the Jonda soon! Thanks for being patient about, it, lol. But it's coming! Thanks to everyone who is reading this and enjoying it so far.  
BTW - Just as a side note. I do not hate Tabitha - at all. I actually enjoy her character. If there is any bashing of her (and lord knows there will be) just keep in mind who's POV it is. I try to keep everything in character as much as possible, so just don't get the wrong idea about people's opinions. :)

* * *

**Chapter 6 - Complicated**

* * *

"God you are so slow! I could've been there and back and there and back and there and back already if it weren't for you walking slower than a snail!" Pietro paced circles around Remy as the two boys walked toward the Bayville Galleria. "Why did I get stuck with you again, huh?" 

Remy rolled his red on black eyes at the younger boy. "I don't think you're the one bein' punished wit' dis, mon ami."

"Oh yeah? You try talking to someone who sounds like they're in constant slow motion all the time, and then you tell me that's not punishment!" He scoffed. "Don't be such a stupid idiot, Gambit."

Remy bit back his anger. "Are you always so annoyin'?"

The boys turned onto the next street and approached the parking lot. "I am not annoying! I'm ten times better than you'll ever be, and I'm way better looking. You can't even speak one language properly, and you think I'm annoying?" Pietro ranted. He sped towards the mall impatiently, and left Remy to cross the parking lot by himself.

He missed the days when he had access to a motorcycle. Magneto had been nice enough in that regard, whereas Mystique told them to go and bring things back as she demanded - without being nice enough to even point them in the direction of her car. Of course, the blue skinned lady was smart enough to not keep her brand new vehicle around the house. Either that or she was still punishing him for his relationship with Rogue, he hadn't decided yet.

He was beginning to wonder if her money was enough to keep him around and put up with her shit.

And then there was Pietro. It wasn't that Remy hated the speedster; there was just way too much ego and not enough air space to allow the two of them to be in one area together for long periods of time. He had been forced to put up with him for Magneto's sake during the Acolyte days, but then they had a much bigger living space to work with. With the Brotherhood, Pietro was all over the place all of the time. He was always goofing off and getting into people's business when he wasn't wanted. Remy was pretty sure that the boy didn't understand the concept of people not wanting to be in his presence.

He approached the mall doors and glared at the white haired boy. "You happy now? We're here!"

"Yeah but I waited here so long that I felt my entire life go by!" He sighed overdramatically and quickly pulled open the door. "So what do ya say we pocket this cash she gave us and just 'slip' our supplies out unnoticed?"

Remy smirked. "A shoppin' mall is easy pickin's. You think I'd pay for such things as dis?" He held up the list of things they were instructed to get. "I've taken much bigger and way more expensive things under worse circumstances."

"That's the smartest thing I've ever heard you say!" Pietro beamed. "At least now I know you're good for something!"

"It must've been all these years you've been hangin' around de Toad and de Blob dat smart things come few and far between." Remy calmly replied. "I suppose years in de boarding house would do that to a homme."

"Yeah, but now you're around the same people too! And it's not like Sabretooth and Pyro are any better!" Pietro scoffed, and stopped to check himself out in a mirror. "Then again, neither was Magneto."

The two boys entered a hardware store. "Ya sure do talk tough when de old geezer isn't around," Remy shot. "I recall you kissin' his ass every given chance you had. 'Sides, Pyro isn't as dumb as you think, mon ami."

Pietro rolled his eyes. "He stuck his hand in a toaster!"

Remy chuckled. "That was pretty funny."

"Then there was that time he tried writing with his toes, and he poked himself in the eye! Who does that?" Pietro continued to rant.

"Besides his fille, what _do_ you have against him?" Remy inquired. "You never had a problem wit' him before."

Pietro swiped a few items off of the shelf next to him. "Who said anything about his girlfriend? I wouldn't want anything that touched him with a ten foot pole!"

His red eyes narrowed. "You're so full of shit."

Pietro smirked. "I've already had her, been there and done that. Pyro can keep her."

Remy rolled his eyes. "Dieu, I wouldn't be surprised if Freddy even had her."

"You really wanna know the answer to that?" Pietro inquired.

"Hell no," Remy replied. He spotted a nice black handled utility knife and snatched it. "Let's blow dis joint, homme." Pietro gave him a swift nod and the two boys soon found themselves in the main strip of the mall once more. Bayville's mall was fairly large for a not so huge city, so they did have quite a bit of ground to cover.

Remy nudged Pietro. "Why don't you cover the top two floors, and I'll cover down here?"

Pietro rolled his eyes. "Now we're talkin'! I'll be done in no time!"

"Good, then meet me in the food court in fifteen minutes," The older mutant instructed.

"I'll be there in half that!" Pietro scoffed before speeding away. Remy barely had enough time to blink before he realized that he was gone. There wasn't much on the lower levels of the mall, just a few small clothing stores, the hardware store, a grocery, the food court, and an army surplus store. Considering only one of those places had any relevance to what he was there for, it was the only store he would have to hit.

Mystique was mainly looking for devices and equipment that would come in handy for them on their mission. Remy was very aware that this was really a first time thing for every one of them, save for himself and Pyro. He knew that the Brotherhood had participated in fights before, but never really anything that demanded much strategy and skill. Remy had been involved in such things for as long as he could remember; it was what he was raised to do in the Thieves Guild, which was why he figured he kept working for people like Magneto and Mystique.

At the same time, he didn't object to the kind of missions that Magneto used to give him, or the ones that Mystique currently assigned him. Remy honestly did believe in mutant rights, and that humans could and would at any time devise ways to kill or imprison them. For most of his life he was sought after by humans in the guilds due to his powers, and he did not want it to happen again. The mission against the Creed guy would be a cake walk for him, but it would put his tactical and leadership skills to the test; he would have to make sure that no one on his team would fuck up or get themselves hurt.

He figured that the surplus store would give him what he needed. Mystique had instructed him on getting his hands on any ammunition, combat knives, survival tools should they get stuck outdoors for any period of time, extra protective equipment for their uniforms, and any pieces of medical equipment should someone get hurt. The surplus stores were a bit harder to snatch things from due to the fact that most of the items their required many licenses and such, but thievery was his specialty.

The entrance of the store was mostly clear of any staff, so he pushed his sunglasses on and immediately got to work. Almost everything was placed neatly along rows and rows of shelving, so it was too easy for Remy to slide things into his pockets. He tried to keep every member of the team in mind when searching for useful items, but for the most part he grabbed things that he figured would help him break into places and subdue security if need be.

Once he grabbed all that he thought was necessary, he quickly retreated back to the main strip of the mall to meet Pietro. The mall was crowded by that particular time, so he was quickly swept up into a sea of people and away from the surplus store. He had been able to grab a few compasses and more than enough knives of different styles. He had almost cut himself while fingering the blade of one when someone's voice had caught his attention.

"What in the blazes are ya doin' in a mall, Swamp rat?" He turned quickly and smiled at the sight of Rogue. She was with her teammate, X-23.

"Just doin' some shoppin', petite," Remy covered. "And what is a fine lady like yourself doin' here?"

Rogue and X-23 matched his pace as they walked with him to the food court. "Ah sure as hell know ya aren't doin' any clothes shoppin'. You've been wearing the same jeans and t-shirts since Ah've met ya," Rogue joked.

"And I know you're not doin' any girl bondin'." Remy smoothly replied as he perked an eyebrow towards X-23. "Ya only ever bring her somewhere when y'all are lookin' to disembowel someone."

Rogue hesitated, but quickly covered it up. "That's not true, we were just hangin' out."

"Right," Remy chuckled. "You are one bad liar, girl."

Rogue huffed and folded her arms. "Why would Ah even put in the effort to lie to ya? Ya aren't even worth it."

"Because you love me, why else?" He smirked.

"You wish," She spat. "Ah'm too busy suffocatin' on yoah ego to bother havin' feelin's for ya."

They reached a table and took a seat; Remy sat on one side, while Rogue sat at the chair across from him. X-23 chose to remain standing, so she stood next to Rogue's seat. Remy was amused by the situation; he honestly didn't believe that Rogue had any ulterior motives at all until she had started sputtering around him. He figured it had to do with the alarms he had set off the previous day; the Professor was probably pissed at him again.

"Are you people always this annoying?" X-23 cut in. "If you hate each other, why don't you just kill him, Rogue? I can decapitate him if you like."

Rogue shot her a look. "It's okay, X. Ah'm sure when Ah get pissed off enough Ah'll kill him mahself."

A few seconds later, a gust of wind shot past the group and stopped next to the young clone. "Oh looky here! It's crazy stabby girl!"

X-23 glared at Pietro and quickly pushed him to the ground. "Why are you here?!"

"Because I saw your beautiful face and I just knew I had to come over here!" Pietro mocked. He stood from the floor. "But since you're so touchy again today, I don't think I want to talk to you anymore!"

"Well, Ah see ya two have met," Rogue rolled her eyes. "X, just ignore him. He's a shit."

"A what?" Pietro shrieked. "I thought we were friends, Rogue! I guess not, huh, you jerk!"

Remy rolled his eyes at Pietro and grabbed him by the sleeve, and quickly pulled him down to the seat next to him. "Jus' sit down and shut up for five seconds."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "It's kinda hard to be friends with someone who acts like a hopped up bunny on crack all the time."

"He is not like Magneto, Rogue," X-23 stated. "I still don't like either of them though."

"Of course I'm not like him! He's a freakin' psycho," Pietro retorted. "Or are you just doing your dog thing again where you sniff people?"

"I told you already, ugly, that I am not a dog! I clearly only have two legs and no tail!" In a frustrated fit, she turned to Rogue. "Do I look like a dog?"

Rogue chuckled. "No ya don't. Don't worry."

"So what's her name?" Pietro asked, jutting a thumb towards X-23. "And why does she look like hairy psycho man with the claws?"

Rogue perked an eyebrow. "Her name is X-23, and she is…related…to Wolverine."

"X-23?!" Pietro laughed.

"Settle down, mon ami. You don't wanna piss her off," Remy warned.

"X-23 is my designation," The young girl explained, a little irritated by his laughing.

"What are you a robot or something? What's your real name?" Pietro asked.

"I am not a robot, I am a weapon. I have no real name," She explained.

"Okay then," Pietro stated. "No wonder you're so crazy with those claws!"

"You have no idea," Rogue muttered. "She once took out everyone in the entire mansion - including the Professor. She also beat Logan a few times in the Danger Room. Ah wouldn't mess with her, Quicksilver."

"Quicksilver?" X questioned with a scrunched up face, which caused Remy to laugh. "You say that I have a silly name? Your name sounds so stupid that it makes me want to punch you right in the face."

"What?" Pietro scoffed. "My name is awesome! You just don't like it because you have bad taste! And that doesn't surprise me!"

"Okay, kids," Remy interrupted. "We got stuff to do, Speedy."

"Good, I wanna get away from this crazy girl anyways! I just try to be nice to her and she just acts like a bitch to me!" Pietro ranted.

"What do ya know?" Rogue sarcastically commented. "A girl who isn't stupid enough to fall foah yoah cheap flirtin'? Ah think yoah ego's just bruised."

Remy smiled at his girlfriend. "Sharp as always, chere."

"Ya know it," She grinned.

"Whatever, I'm outta here! Meet me outside, Gumbo!" Pietro spat and sped towards the exit.

"How do you live with that stupid idiot?" X-23 ranted. "If I lived with him, I would smother him in his sleep and light his bed on fire!"

Remy laughed. "That's funny because both his sister and Pyro have tried both of those things at least once…but I think Johnny was more for the sake of lightin' somethin' on fire rather than to kill 'im."

"Really?" Rogue queried. "I woulda figured that Lance woulda got in on that action too. Hell, even mah damn mother would've…"

"Some of us have sadly developed an immunity," Remy said in mock woe. "What has de world come to?"

"Mass retardation," X-23 muttered. "Can we leave now, Rogue? I do not like this place. There are too many people here that I want to kill."

Rogue snorted. "Sure, X. Ah'll see ya later, Swamp Rat."

Remy grinned and grabbed her hand, pulling her in for a hug. "Je t'aime, mon amour."

"Ugh, don't be such a pansy," She whined, but he immediately picked up on the smile on her face. "Haven't ya ever heard of PDA?"

"Yes," He replied. "And I enjoy it a lot."

"Figures," She muttered.

* * *

"'Kay, mates, I'm done," John shook the sweat from his hair and stood from the bench press. "My arms are ready to fall off."

"Oh come on!" Lance taunted. "You only went up to three hundred! Don't be such a pussy!"

"Yeah, yo!" Toad jumped onto the padded bench and attempted to lift what John just lifted - and nearly killed himself in the process. "I mean…three hundred is enough!"

The orange haired boy shook his head. "Maybe we can get sweaty together later." He laughed at the look on Toad's face. "Oh come on, mate! I know you think about it all the time!"

Toad nearly gagged and looked at Wanda. "As long as you're staying, I don't care where he goes."

"Lucky me," Wanda muttered.

"Whatever man, it's your loss," Lance shrugged John off. "I'll be out here later if you need someone to spot you."

John just grinned and shrugged his shoulders, and unzipped the front of his uniform. "And I'll be busy stuffin' meself."

"You're so fucking lazy!" Lance muttered. "All you do is eat and watch TV."

"And all ya do is bitch and jerk off, oh angsty one," John grinned. "But hey if that's what puts hair on yer chest, then maybe I should give it a try sometime."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Lance asked, totally ignoring Toad - who he was supposed to be spotting.

"Who cares?! Help me!" Todd screeched, as he struggled with the bar. John just laughed and walked towards the house, leaving Wanda alone with Avalanche and her stalker. Mystique had instructed them to get outside and train; she no longer tolerated them sitting around and doing nothing. They had been working out for three hours by that point, and the blue skinned woman had left the house a half hour previous. She didn't blame John for taking the opportunity to stop.

"Oh babycakes, that was so hard! Would you mind givin' me a massage?" Todd sat up and revealed his green stained teeth to her in an attempt to look cute.

She almost threw up in her mouth.

"Fuck off, Toad!" She yelled and hexed him to the ground.

"You're never gonna quit, are you?" Lance shook his head. "Why don't you go find some virgin tail at the high school or something?"

"I don't want _that_ tail!" He explained, "I want…"

Wanda's hand shot out and a blue glow covered the amphibious mutant. "You finish that sentence and you will meet your untimely death!"

"Wanda, why don't you take a turn over here?" Lance interrupted, probably saving Toad's life.

"Wipe his scum off first, then maybe I will," She growled.

Lance rolled his eyes and covered the bench with a clean towel. "That better?"

She glared at him and laid down on the machine; Lance hovered over her head and replaced the three hundred pounds with a little less than half the weight. He gave her a nod to start, but before she did, Toad hopped next to her.

"Cuddlebumps, if you need my help, I will come to you!" He gave a nod and sat next to her face.

"Just start whenever you're ready, Wanda," Lance encouraged in his 'leader' voice. "Just ignore him and focus."

"It's kinda hard when I can smell his vile breath from here!" She screeched and glared at him. "Move back!"

He slid his butt backward a few feet and grinned. "Anything for you!"

She rolled her eyes and positioned her hands on the barbell and took a deep breath. She had a lot of upper body work to do; she was pretty much the weakest person in the house in that aspect. Lance had been doing a great job helping her, and she appreciated it, but at the same time she always had Toad hovering over her and watching her every work out session. Lord knew she did not want to know why either.

She lifted the weight from the rack and held it up for a few moments before she brought it back down towards her chest. She let out a deep breath, and lifted it up once more. She did this fifteen times before she replaced the bar back on the rack and sat up.

"Good job!" Lance clapped a hand on her shoulder. "You didn't hesitate once that time!"

"Do you want me to wipe your face for you, sweetums?" Toad hopped practically on top of her with a towel. "I can get you all…"

"Get off of me!" Wanda yelled, and hexed him through the kitchen window. She wiped at herself manically; she felt dirty all over.

Lance threw a concerned look towards the house and then looked back at Wanda. "Well, at least your aim is still good."

Wanda laid back down on the bench and frowned. "Why me? Why must that disgusting insect attach himself to me?"

Lance gulped. "I'm not going to answer that question."

Wanda glared at him. "Why can't he just go for Tabitha? At least she would put out."

"I think he already has…" He muttered.

Wanda shuddered. "Okay, well at least that confirms there's a wart virus going around this house…at least."

"Well I don't exactly have to worry about that," Lance told her. He rolled his shoulders and stared down at her. "Are you ready for your next set?"

Toad came bounding out the door with a glass of water. "Babycakes, I got you some aqua!"

She growled and smashed the cup in his hands. "Where should I throw him?"

"I was talking about the weights!" Lance called, but it was too late. Toad was hurtled straight up into the air, and left to hang in the large tree next to the house. The long haired mutant ran towards the tree and looked up. "How are we going to get him down? I think you knocked him out."

Wanda rolled her eyes and grabbed the barbell. "Maybe if we leave him there the birds will eat away at him."

"But that would be painful!" Lance stated as he maneuvered his way back to her.

"That's the point!"

* * *

John pulled his arms from his uniform and wrapped the sleeves around his waist. His bare skin stuck to the sofa, as he laid sprawled across it, but his joints were aching so much that he didn't care. He had worked out more in the last few weeks than he had in his entire life. Magneto was only ever adamant on power control, so John never really bothered doing much in terms of fitness.

He held the remote control out ahead of him, and his eyes nearly bulged from his sockets when he caught a documentary _When Buildings Fall Down_. He laughed with glee. "Oh yeah! This is what it's all about!" He lifted his head and cocked it to the side in interest.

"_Once the building's reinforcements are heated for long periods of time by fire - or other means - it can cause enough damage for it to weaken the load and cause a pancake collapse. From there, it's only a matter of time before the rest of the building is collapsed as well."_

A bright glow flashed from the screen and a four story building collapsed with fire burning all around it. John's eyes glazed over and his mouth fell open. "Get it Sheila! Show that heap of crap who's boss!" The rest of the building flattened, and the people on the screen began to rush back away from the flames. As it all ended, a gas tank connected to the last bit of wall blew up, and the entire property burst into flames. "Hahahahaha! Ye-eah!"

"What are you doing? I can hear you laughing from down the street!" John heard the voice before Pietro's body was even next to him.

"Oh ya know, participatin' in some clichéd, insane psycho-babble that most bad guys do." John smirked and looked at him. "Why, wanna play?"

Pietro scrunched up his face. "No thanks!" The white haired boy shook his head and walked towards the boarding house kitchen. John noticed a grin stretch over Pietro's face as soon as he got there. "Tabitha! What are you doing in here?"

John bit his lip and turned back to the television, just as a high-story building was about to be blown up in demolition. He tried as hard as he could to keep his focus on the countdown, but Tabby's flirtatious giggling kept peeling him away from the television. In a bit of a panic, he glanced back and forth between the explosion and the kitchen. He scrunched up his face and peeled himself from the couch, and walked towards the kitchen.

"Why do you look so hot and bothered, Pie?" He heard her whisper to him.

"I am not hot and bothered, Tabitha! But leave it up to you to even know what that looks like," Pietro retorted.

"Oh come on, why are you all snarky today? Not gettin' any?" She giggled.

"No, I didn't have you coming on to me last night, if that's what your asking," Pietro spat. "But I get what I need, don't you worry."

"Why would I be worried; I don't think that _I_ have anything to worry about," She mused.

"And why's that?" Pietro asked her. John didn't like the tone of their conversation at all, and he was almost ready to march in there and knock Pietro out.

"Because I can get you whenever I want and you know it," Tabitha replied with a casual tone. "You can't resist me!"

John felt his anger boil up inside of him. Pietro, on the other hand, just laughed. "Is that so? That sounds more like one of my lines! And what makes you think that I want you, huh?" Pietro's words would've sounded negative if his tone of voice wasn't so teasing.

"Oh, Pie, don't tell me you forgot what you said the other night! I've never heard you moan so loud…" She was cut off by a large flame bursting through the gas stove. She'd pretty much jumped a foot in the air. "Johnny!"

"Oh, don't let me ruin your slut parade, Sheila," He glared at her dangerously. "We can pretend I'm not here!"

Her face burned a dark red and she stared at the floor. Pietro, on the other hand, looked from John to Tabitha and back to John, and shrugged. "Well, looks like I'm not needed here. See you at supper!" He sped off out of the room with a sick smirk on his face.

John turned on Tabitha. "Ya really can't keep yer legs closed can ya?"

"John, you misheard me!" She blurted. His eyes widened.

"Oh I did? Oh well okay then! Silly me!" The flame from the stove burned hotter, and she ran to the other side of the kitchen.

"John, calm down! You don't need to fuckin' light me on fire!" She yelped.

He took a deep breath and the flame lowered. "You're a filthy root rat if I ever met one."

Her face softened. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"No, you didn't mean for me to hear you!" He yelled, which caused her eyes to start watering; he had never raised his voice at anyone in the house before.

"That's not what I meant!" She pleaded. She walked towards him and placed her hand on his arm. "I really do care about you…"

His eyes fell down to her hand and he stared at it before he roughly pulled his arm away. "Don't touch me, whore."

She stared at him hard before she raised her hand and slapped him in the face. "Don't you dare call me that!"

"You little fuckin'…" He was ready to charge at her before two strong hands grabbed his shoulders.

"That's enough, Johnny!" It was Remy.

Pyro ripped himself from the Cajun's grasp and stared at Tabitha. "Don't come near me again, you scrag." He ignored the hurt look on her face and stormed out of the kitchen; he blew a fuse and he knew it. His anger was out of control for the first time in awhile, but he didn't care. Betrayal was one of the worst feelings in the world, and he wasn't going to hold back on her.

She wasn't worth it.

* * *

Bobby stepped out into the estate grounds of the institute. He had just finished an afternoon danger room session with his team, and he was looking to hit the pool to cool down. He had been under the assumption that life in the danger room would be a hell of a lot easier now that he was away from Logan's watch, but he couldn't have been more wrong. While Logan was very focused on combat skills, Magneto was more interested in the use of their powers, and tapping into their energy potentials.

The physicality of Logan's sessions did a number on their bodies, but nothing could compare to draining their energy and using their powers to their utmost potential. Bobby was able to now do things that he never even realized that he was capable of before, and the amount of power that he seemed to wield did frighten him. Magneto spoke to the team the previous day about different power levels of mutants, and that there were even classifications for power limits. The students weren't entirely sure what that meant, but Eric had promised that they would discuss it more as they progressed.

After the session ended however, Magneto had pulled Bobby aside and told him that he was especially interested in him, and had asked him if they could find out more about his powers. Bobby wasn't quite sure what to say or think about that, so he did end up reluctantly agreeing. However, he felt lukewarm about getting himself so wrapped up in being powerful that he could put someone at risk; he had heard what had happened when Magneto had screwed around with Scott and Alex's powers.

He shook his head from his thoughts and began towards the pool, but as he got closer; he realized that someone had already occupied it.

"It's impossible to cool down with you around, Lorna Dane," Bobby lulled as he neared her. "I may just have to settle with a shower now."

She laughed. "You're made of ice; you can cool down whenever you want."

"But that just takes the fun out of it!" He grinned and set his towel town. She kept her eyes glued to him as he slipped out of his flip flops and removed his shirt. "So what are you doing out here all by yourself? That should be considered a crime!"

She blushed. "The other new recruits in my group are playing basketball."

"And?" He inquired.

She shrugged. "I don't like basketball. And they're all sweaty." She tucked a strand of wet, dark green hair behind her ear. "I prefer to swim."

Bobby shrugged and slipped in next to her. "I prefer you swimming too."

She smacked his arm. "That's enough out of you!"

"Okay, okay," He raised his hands up in defense. "I'm sorry. Whatever can I do to make it up to you?"

"You don't have to do anything," She smiled. "I'm fully content with you being who you are."

Bobby leaned back and began to swim. "Is that so? Now if that isn't flattery, then I don't know what is."

"Are you always such a flirt?" She asked with a slight blush.

"With a beautiful girl like yourself?" He smiled. "Of course."

She stood in the shallow end of the pool and fixed her hair, revealing to him her lovely lavender bikini. "That isn't the only reason you like me, is it?"

His face softened. "No."

"Good," She smiled. "Because between you and Alex, you're the only ones around here who don't treat me like the plague. I don't really get it," She whispered. "My father had talked me into coming to this place to fit in with other mutants…but so far I don't really feel like I'm fitting in all that much."

He swam closer to her and stared into her green eyes. "I think you fit in just fine. It takes awhile to get used to all the freaks around here, but everything's cool. I promise."

She smiled at him. "Well I hope so. I do like this place a lot. I've never been able to really use my powers without screwing something up, so it's interesting to see everything I can do with them."

"Have you chosen a codename yet?" Bobby inquired as he continued to swim circles around her.

She shrugged her shoulders and a corner of her mouth twitched upwards. "I don't really know yet. It's hard to think of something suitable, you know?"

"No," Bobby joked. "I picked the first lame thing that came to mind."

She laughed at that. "But it's still unique…it's still, you know, _you_."

He perked an eyebrow at that. "Well, there are a million things unique about you; you shouldn't have much trouble."

"There are only so many things you can come up with that have any relevance to metal or magnets," She laughed. "And I don't want to be the next Jean Grey and use my everyday name either."

"I don't blame you," He smiled. "But no one said you had to make up one that's about metal and whatnot. Don't you have some crazy powers that manipulate gravity and the Earth's poles or something like that?"

She nodded. "Yeah, something like that."

"Well, then I'm sure you can come up with something else." He smiled.

She nodded. "Maybe my father can help me think of something. He knows a lot about science and my powers."

He shrugged. "Your dad sure does sound like he's a mutant supporter. I wish my dad was like that, but there aren't too many of them around."

Lorna gave him a confused look. "What do you mean by mutant supporter?"

He swam another circle around her and laughed. "You know, a human who doesn't hate mutants?"

"But my father is not a human," She clarified. "He's a mutant."

"Oh…okay, I didn't know that," Bobby was really confused; she had not mentioned that to him before. "Then why doesn't your dad come to the institute to help you learn more? There are a bunch of dorky adults he can hang out with…like Beast!"

"Um, Bobby, I don't quite understand. My father does live here. He is Magneto," She said way too casually for his liking. He instantly stopped swimming and moved in front of her.

"What?!" He exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me that before?!"

"I-I thought you knew…" She whispered. "He is the one who brought me here, and he is the one who cares for me." Bobby couldn't close his mouth, and it must have made her uneasy. "I'm so sorry if I frightened you, Bobby. I didn't mean to keep that from you."

He straightened himself so that he was standing his full length. "Y-you didn't. It just caught me off guard."

"You don't like me anymore, do you?" She asked quietly. "You've never looked at me that way before."

He shook his head roughly. "No! It's nothing like that, I swear!" She dipped her head self consciously, and at that instant he felt like a really big dick. He put a finger under her chin and lifted it so that she was looking at him. "I do _not_ hate you."

"Okay, I'm glad," She forced a smile and stared into his eyes. "I wouldn't want that."

He smiled and leaned in a little closer to her. "I couldn't hate you, Lorna."

They stood standing only inches apart, and basked in each other's soaked appearances. Bobby had nothing against what she had said, it had just shocked him. For someone who was such a sociopath, Magneto had sure produced a beautiful daughter; he couldn't for the life of him understand how such a perfect and pure girl could come from a guy like him who had wronged so many people in his life. He had decided very early on that he was really attracted to her, and that wasn't going to change because of some secret - even if it was strange and shocking.

He tucked her hair behind her ear and decided to go in for the kill; his eyes lowered to her jade colored lips and he leaned in slowly, making sure not to catch her off guard. Just as his lips were centimeters away from hers however, an entire army of young mutants jumped into the pool around them, successfully splashing Lorna away from his face. Bobby punched the water angrily.

"Sorry, did Ah interrupt?" Sam asked shyly for behind him. "Jubes totally bumped inta meh, and Ah went flyin'!"

Bobby stared past Sam to the grinning faces of Amara and Jubilee and glared. "No Sam, don't worry about it, man."

"Sorry Bobby!" Jubilee laughed. "That was just way too easy!"

Iceman rolled his eyes and whirled around to apologize to Lorna, but someone had beaten him to her. Alex had started swimming circles flirtatiously around the green haired beauty, just like he had been doing moments earlier.

"So, like, what were you doin' out here, Lorna?" Alex smiled at her.

She folded her arms. "I was just…getting some exercise."

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with me today! Maybe we can learn some surfing moves?" He questioned.

Bobby rolled his eyes angrily. "We're in a pool dipshit! You can't surf in the freakin' pool!"

"Bobby, you don't have to be rude, man," Alex stated dumbly. "Just because you can't surf, doesn't mean that Lorna can't learn."

"Alex, maybe some other time, okay?" Lorna said gently. "I'll see you guys later." She gave Bobby a small smile, and pulled her wet body from the pool. He couldn't help but follow her form until she was out of sight.

"She's pretty hot, huh?" Alex chuckled. "And that was one mean bathing suit…"

"Shut up, dick head!" Bobby growled and clenched his fists, causing a stream of cold to leave his hands.

"Bobby you asshole!" Everyone cleared the pool in a matter of seconds, save for Bobby himself. He looked at the floating ice chunks in the water and sighed.

He had been so close.

* * *

Wanda sat on the front porch of the boarding house and stared across the lawn toward the setting sun. She had spent the entire afternoon working out with Lance, and she was completely exhausted. The air had been hot, and her skin was sticky from working herself in the heat, but the setting sun and a welcomed breeze definitely felt nice; it sure beat the stale air of the house.

She was also enjoying the peace and quiet; Toad had bothered her all day, and there was some yelling going on inside, but things were pretty peaceful outside. It was nice to get away from all of the training and the drama inside the house for just a few moments out of the day. For an eighteen year old girl with no school and no job, her life sure was complicated. She made it a habit to catch the sunset just so she could have a few moments of sanity.

And of course, that never lasted long.

She jumped at the sound of the door slamming hard behind her, and before she could even turn around, someone had collided into her.

"What the hell?" She screeched. "I was sitting here!"

Pyro peeled himself away from her and stormed down the steps. "Well excuse me!"

She glared and sent a hex bolt at his feet, which caused him to trip and face plant the ground. He growled and turned to face her. "What the hell is yer problem?!"

She frowned. "I don't have the problem! I wasn't the one going around and kicking people!" She stood from her spot on the steps and approached him cautiously; she had no idea why he was mad, but that was the angriest she had ever seen him in the ten months that she'd known him. "What's _your_ problem?"

He opened his mouth to retort, but then seemed to have thought better of it. "Jus' forget it."

Wanda felt her nerves clench at the heartbroken sight of his face. "I've never seen you do that before."

"Do what?" He asked as he pulled himself up lazily. "Fall on me face? I'm sure ya can see that whenever ya want if ya really put yer mind to it."

"No," She swallowed. "Get mad like that."

His blue eyes finally softened. "I don't like to, that's why. But when ya meet the scum o' the Earth face to face, it has that affect on ya."

She was confused. "What?"

"Never you mind, Sheila," He waved her off, which annoyed her.

"My name is Wanda," She corrected him.

He blinked. "Uh, yeah I know. I'm glad that you know too!"

She bit back a laugh. "Of course I know that, it's my name."

"And I heard what ya said, so I guess ya have nuthin' to worry 'bout, Sheila." He dusted off the dirt from his chest and uniform pants and grinned at her. It was then that she became very aware that he was bare chested; he still had small grains of dirt stuck to his skin, which was probably attributed to the fact that his skin was slick with a layer sweat. She had never gotten the chance to see him so close up while missing some clothes; she'd be damned if she wasn't enjoying it too. She quickly looked away from him.

"What did you just call me?"

He snorted. "Hairy nipple fart head."

"What nipple!?" Her eyes immediately glued back to his chest at that. She shook her head. "You're crazy!"

"So says ya, and yer way worse than I am!" He laughed at her blushing face.

She glared. "Weren't you just mad like five seconds ago?"

His smile faltered, and he shrugged. "I guess I was; that was pretty schizophrenic of me, wasn't it?"

"I guess so," She replied and went back to sit on the steps. "Sorry for bugging you."

He scrunched up his face and walked towards her. "Yer the last of me worries, love." She blushed at the name, but he continued anyways. "Even if ya did get dirt in me mouth."

"You kicked me in the head, so I guess we're even," She muttered. "What were you storming around for anyways?"

"Root rats, scum bags, and dirty affairs! Why else?" He mumbled as he sat next her. She shivered as his bare arm brushed against her own, but tried her best to ignore it.

"You finally figured it out, huh?" She asked him. "It's about time."

He perked an eyebrow at her. "Well now I feel _really_ dumb."

"So did the rest of them," She snorted. "But it's just a bruised ego; you'll get over it."

"Ew, now I feel dumb _and_ dirty," He cringed. "What was I thinkin'?"

"I'd answer that, but I'd probably hurt your feelings," She replied. "And besides, what the hell do I know anyways?"

"Obviously more than I did," He muttered. "But, there's no sense in gettin' all weepy now, is there?" He raked his fingers through his hair and stared at his feet; with the sun splaying across his sad face, she had never felt more attracted to him. It was weird to see him upset.

She leaned back and stared across the lawn. "It wasn't your fault…she's just like that."

"Who?" He turned to look at her.

"Tabitha," She replied. "Don't be sad."

His lips twitched upwards. "For someone who's all dark and gloomy, yer not that bad at bein' friendly."

"Yeah well, dark and gloomy is more enjoyable; I'm only friendly when I want to be," She muttered.

He grinned at her. "Well then! I made the list! I must be a special bloke if ya wanted to be my friend!"

_You have no idea. _"Don't get too excited on me now; I'm just tired," She remarked quickly. She was quickly getting flustered with his random mood changes.

"Oh, Sheila! Ya love me!" A stupid grin spread across his face and he nudged her. "Well now all me problems are gone!"

She blushed madly and hexed him off the porch. "I do not love anyone! Why would I start with you? You're just being stupid as usual!"

He wiped a chunk of dirt from his hair and smiled. "Stupid, dirty, but cheered up, right? I'll never forget this day!"

Wanda gawked at him for a few moments before composing herself. "You are really weird."

"You have no idea," He grinned a large smile that made her knees want to melt. "Thanks, Sheila."

She was about to retort when the banging of the back door was heard, and John's focus was quickly shifted to that. He pushed his hand down into the bunched up pockets of his uniform (which gave her the opportunity to check out his abs again), and he pulled out his lighter.

"Oh Lancey-poo! What do ya say we have a barby, huh?" He gave Wanda a wicked smile as a fireball grew between his fingers. "Yer hair is gettin' too long!" He walked towards the backyard where Lance supposedly was, and left Wanda by herself. She sat in silence for a few moments and burned the mental picture of him half dressed to her brain.

"I need a shower."

* * *

**A/N**: It pained me a little to write John/Tabitha. Gee, I'm glad that was short-lived. Ha ha, anyways, the next few chapters will focus mostly on the Brotherhood's first mission. I'll also do a little bit of Lancitty too to get it out of my system. Yay, now you have that to look forward to, lol. So anywho, I hope you enjoyed this installment and I'm not boring anyone to death. All feedback is welcomed, and thanks for reading. 


	7. Last Minute Arrangement

**A/N: **This chapter is pretty much filler. But it does have a lot of character interaction, so I hope you enjoy it anyways.

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Last Minute Arrangement**

* * *

Tabitha stared blankly at the contents on her bed. She entered her room to find an abundance of crap on her bed that she only assumed was left there for her to pack for the upcoming mission. Stifling through it, she had come across a radio communicator, a compass, some new additional armor for her uniform, three different knives, and a utility belt. During her time as an X-Man she had never gotten the opportunity to go on any missions, so her training with weaponry and tools was rather limited - and in her opinion, useless. 

In fact, most of the training provided by Xavier was power based with a few rescue lessons here and there. It had only been recently with Remy and Lance that she had learned any sort of attack and defense lessons. The mission was going to be her first in stealth, and she had a feeling that she was going to have to do a lot of relying on her teammates in order to successfully assist them.

And that wasn't necessarily a good thing at that particular moment. John was incredibly angry at her, which caused a few problems with Remy as well. Remy was the co-team leader, and he had to put the personal shit behind them, but John was his closest friend in the house. After John had stormed off on her the previous day, Remy practically gave her the cold shoulder. She was unsure if John really was ready to hurt her - the anger and craziness in his eyes had actually scared her - and she had tried to be thankful with Remy for peeling John away from her. However, he didn't want her thanks or even her comments on the matter; his face only remained indifferent and annoyed.

That being said, she wasn't particularly close with Lance or Wanda either. Tabby was well aware that Lance only tolerated her because they had to live together and because he was the leader, and not much else. She knew just as well as the next person that she got on his nerves on purpose, so the feelings were deserved, but she was only ever trying to have fun with him. It was his fault for being wound so tight. Wanda was the same way, only she didn't even bother with the tolerating. Since the day that Tabby had come back to the house she and Wanda had butted heads. It wasn't that Tabby didn't like the Gothic girl, the two of them just suffered from a major personality clash. There were few girls that Tabitha truly got along with well, and Wanda certainly was not one of them. However, Tabitha noted that the Goth didn't really get along with anyone save for Lance and her brother. Todd was definitely someone who went out of his way to piss her off, and Wanda almost acted repulsed at most of Freddy's behavior. The two former Acolytes were a different story, and Tabby wasn't entirely sure how Wanda felt toward them at all.

That being said, she could really only rely on Todd, Fred and Pietro…and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. She had confidence in her own abilities, but she wasn't sure she knew exactly what they were getting into. For all she knew some big ass army of robots could come after them, or ninjas, or something. After witnessing Apocalypse and the Morlocks first hand, she was ready for just about anything.

However, after going through all of the equipment she began to wonder if her head was even into the mission at all. The weapons and tension in the house brought the reality of it all, and suddenly things weren't fun and games anymore. Since she had known the Brotherhood, things were always carefree and fun. They always did have their loyalties to their higher ups, of course, but things had matured real quickly for them over the past few months. It didn't help that she was involved in drama at home either. Her mind kept drifting elsewhere.

She felt so stupid about John. The doubts that had been plaguing her mind about him and their relationship had burned so strong in her gut while they had been together, but since they had broken it off, she couldn't help but feel extremely guilty and silly over it all. She could've been a nice person and spared him the hurt feelings. John, although silly and fun, always had the decency to at least treat her well and was respectful. He was innocent enough with his feelings and the things that they did together, so she couldn't help but regret the way he had found out about her 'escapades'. At least a classy person would have told him face to face.

That is, if a classy person would even cheat at all.

She flung herself onto her bed and stared at the ceiling; she had gotten nothing done with all of her moping. She had only two hours to get ready for their leave, and not a single thing was packed up. Her uniform laid in a balled up heap in the far corner of her room, and Lance had also assigned her to assemble a medical kit for the team - for whatever reason.

In fact, she had barely even left her room all day. She had made a half assed attempt to clean it, but had gotten distracted too many times. She could hear all sorts of activity going on around the house - including John's incessant laughing - and oddly enough, it made her want to hole up for the day. Usually she would be at the front of the line when people were having fun, but she just couldn't get in the mood.

A quick knock on the door broke her from her thoughts, and she raised her head from its laying position on the bed. "What!?"

"I'm coming in so you better be decent!" Came a smooth reply, and no time later was Pietro standing in her room.

"Like you care if someone's decent or not," she muttered and let her head drop back down to the bed. "Did you need something?"

She felt a gust of wind rush past her, followed by his body falling onto the bed next to her. "What the hell are you so grumpy about?"

"Nothing," she forced a smile and turned to look at him. "I'm just lazy today."

"I'd say! I haven't seen your ass around all day! What are you even doing up here?" He looked around the room quickly and smirked. "It's not even clean!"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm just sitting here, Pie. I don't feel like talking to anyone."

"Well since I'm so obviously an exception, I'll just make myself at home!" He reached toward her as he laid back next to her. "Do you need to be cheered up?"

She pushed his lingering hand from her arm and frowned. "No, that's what got me in this mess in the first place."

"_That's_ what you're so bothered about?!" He exclaimed. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"Well I'm not, Pietro! Just leave it alone," she begged and sat up.

He quickly followed suit. "Why would I do that?! You're the one who told me you wanted to be casual and all that other bullshit! I don't think you can sit here and be all pissy about breaking up with your boyfriend!"

"Don't you think I know that?!" She sighed in exasperation and turned away from him. "I don't need you shoving my crap in my face too, you know."

She felt his hand move to her back. "I'm not shoving any crap in anyone's face. I'm just saying that you got what you wanted, now go with it."

"I know, I just…" she turned back to him, and for once he wasn't smirking at her.

"Don't worry about him," he interrupted her. "He'll be fine! I'm sure he's over it already! Just forget about him."

"I just feel like an ass though," she told him. When his eyebrows rose in disbelief, she continued. "I should've just told him so that he didn't have to find out that way."

"So? You can't go back now! Stop moping, you remind me of Lance!" He scrunched up his face humorously, which caused her to laugh. "Seriously!"

"That's not good," she giggled. "Next thing you know I'm playing emo and slitting my wrists."

Pietro shuddered. "Please don't."

"Don't think I would ever stoop to that low, Pie Pie," she grinned at him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I guess I'll be fine."

He nodded. "You do have to admit that it made things easier for you."

She frowned. "Yeah it did, but it didn't make things any better for him."

"He's running around down there with fire in his nose and mouth and calling himself Smokey the Dragon. I'm sure he's fine," Pietro rolled his eyes and looked down at Tabitha. "Besides, the weepy, mopey thing you have going on doesn't suit you well."

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Thanks Pie."

He smirked and gave her a quick kiss. "Thank me later, baby!" Before she could even retort he was gone, leaving her with a stupid grin on her face. If there was one thing she knew for certain, it was that Pietro could always be relied on to perk her up a bit.

She put her hands on her hips and stood to change into her uniform. "Let's get this show on the road."

* * *

"I thought you said you needed to be home tonight?" Kitty asked Lance with a giggle. They were driving around Bayville in his jeep after enjoying a nice dinner together. 

"I still have a couple of hours," Lance replied with a smile. "They can wait."

"Why are you guys going to New York anyways?" Kitty asked him, as she tried to keep her wind blown hair under control. "Are they showing Rocky Horror again?"

Lance rolled his eyes. "No, and I told you already that I had absolutely no part in that!"

"So you posing in a picture with fish nets and stilettos was all my imagination then?" She shot him an amused smile that made him grin despite his obvious embarrassment. "Because you can't even slide the blame on Pietro for that."

"I was drunk!" He defended lamely. "You have absolutely no idea how in love with that show the guys and Tabby are! They even got Wanda dressed up for that, so you can't blame me!"

She smiled. "It's nothing to be shy about; you look good in thigh highs."

"You're sick," Lance laughed. "There is nothing attractive about drag queens. Especially ones that come from my house."

She leaned over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "Maybe in your opinion."

He turned the jeep onto a small side road toward the north side of the city. "Is there something that you aren't telling me? Because if you like chicks…"

"I do not like chicks!" Kitty shrieked. "God you would just love that way too much."

"What can I say? I couldn't pass you up in any situation." Lance gave her a small grin before shrugging. "Shoot me."

"Oh aren't you just the, like, charmer," she rolled her eyes good naturedly and smiled at him. "You still haven't told me why you're leaving though."

Lance racked his brain for a logical excuse and didn't have much luck. He didn't like to lie to his girlfriend, but he knew if he told her that they were going on a mission to hunt down some flatscan, she would probably just get mad at him. She had already seemed suspicious enough as it was - which he had no idea why. He just hated the fact that she had to ask questions in the first place; he didn't want to ruin what had so far been a good night.

"Pietro wants to go shopping,"

He wanted to smack himself the second it came out of his mouth.

"You are such a liar!" She accused. "Why the hell would your whole house go somewhere because Pietro wants to shop? Why doesn't he just run there himself?"

Lance wanted to groan at her questions. "Pietro loves to shop! You would think he's gay he loves it so much!" (1)

"_I _like to shop!" She screeched.

He winced as he parked his jeep in the lot overlooking the cliff. "But you're a girl!"

"Don't be, like, sexist, Lance," Kitty scolded as she removed her seat belt. "And do you honestly think that I would believe that _you_ are going to go shopping? With Pietro of all people?"

He undid is own seatbelt and stared at her. "We just wanna get outta this dump for awhile! What's wrong with that?" He reached out his hand to grasp hers and sighed. "It's no big deal, Kit. I'll be back before you even know it."

"I just don't want to see you get into any, like, trouble," She conceded. "I'm not trying to be a nagger or anything."

"It's no biggie," he smiled at her. "Besides, when have I ever gotten into any big trouble anyways? I'm cool, you know that."

She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "Um, like, do you not remember how many times you almost brought the school down? And even if you're responsible, there's still that factor of that walking, talking mass destruction unit you call a team."

Lance scratched his chin. "Huh, I guess I did mess the school a bit."

"And our school back home!" Kitty pointed out. "You're a brat!"

He shrugged. "Who cares? That place blew anyways!"

She snorted with laughter and cuddled up to him. "I don't even, like, know what to do with you sometimes."

"You can do whatever you want with me," Lance smirked as he wrapped an arm over her shoulder. "I've got no limitations!"

She gave him a playful smack to the chest. "You wish. I swear you only have your mind on one thing sometimes."

"I'm sorry, Kitty," he apologized. "That's not what I meant…"

She shrugged. "It's, like, okay. You just know how I feel about that stuff."

He held her tighter and smiled into her hair. "I know, and I wouldn't say something like that to make you mad. I don't mind waiting either. Whatever makes you happy."

"I feel like such a prude sometimes," he looked down at her, and she was blushing. "It's kinda embarrassing, you know?"

He kissed the tip of her nose. "You don't have anything to be embarrassed about; it's just sex."

She wiggled at the word. "Yeah, coming from the guy who lives with sexual fiends! You must hate me for doing that to you!"

He snorted. "If anyone has the world's worst case of blue balls, it's Remy, for one. And with the exception of Tabby and Pietro, there are no sexual fiends that I have to worry about."

Kitty smiled at him shyly. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," he tried to sound as casual as possible. "As long as you kiss me and tell me how cool you think I am, I'm fine!"

"You're so arrogant!" She laughed, instantly brightening up again. "Why do you even think you should get a kiss from me, mister?"

He smiled at the courageous grin on her face; if there was anyone in the world that could turn him into a pile of mush, it was Kitty Pryde. The guys would always tease him about it, and her teammates would try to push her away, but there wasn't a single rib in the whole world that would keep him away. She had him wrapped around her tiny finger.

"Because you love me?" He whispered to her.

"Well, I guess that's a perfectly good reason," she smiled at him and leaned upwards to meet his lips. His eyes rolled back in pleasure at the contact, and he instantly responded to her. Her kisses were always very soft and sweet, and just the mere thought of her touching him like that made his body go wild…

"Whoa!" She yelled as she pulled - or fell rather - away from him. He was completely confused until she glared at him. "How many times do I have to, like, tell you to control those powers of yours!"

He felt his face burn. "Sorry."

"You're, like, forgiven," she grinned and pulled him toward her by the collar of his shirt. Once again, their mouths collided, and that time Lance was able to keep himself in check. He still had another hour until he had to get back to the boarding house, and he needed to use every minute to his advantage.

* * *

Bobby Drake let out a shaky breath; he was standing alone in the center of the Danger Room, and his body was almost ready to collapse in exhaustion. Magneto had summoned him to an extra training session without the other members of his team to join him; at the current time, the older man was asking Bobby of ridiculous demands that he wasn't so sure he could even do. He had never used his power so much before. 

He stared at the observation deck and clenched his fist. "I don't think I can hold this anymore!"

"Keep trying!" Magneto encouraged him. "I'm getting some interesting readings."

Bobby took a deep breath and focused on the thick layer of ice covering his body. Magneto was encouraging him to constantly reinforce until it became what he described as 'nearly indestructible'. Eric had explained to him that if he could focus hard enough on his ice armor, he could summon enough energy to create 'organic' ice, similar to that of Colossus' steel state. He had also explained that if Bobby were able to summon this organic state, then he would be able to do much more with his armor, such as healing himself, and generating advanced strength and durability.

In his own opinion however, it was freakin' bizarre and way out of his league of power.

"Now just focus on cooling the temperature, and hardening your state!" Magneto instructed. "Use the air around you to summon the cold!"

Bobby clenched his fists harder and focused on any heated molecules he could feel floating around him; energy was flowing through his body at a rapid rate. The interior of the Danger Room was almost invisible to him now; the whole thing was covered in ice and snow to the point where it was exploding into a crystallized state. He focused his mind on all of the crystals floating in the air, and transferring the energy toward his own body. His arms and shoulders began twitching at the strain, and he let out a loud scream as he tried one more time to summon the molecular energy. He fell to the ground in a heap, and large spiked growths sprouted from his elbows, shoulders, and hands.

"Danger Room, end exercise!" Magneto yelled from the observation deck. Bobby stayed in his spot and tried hard to regain his breath; he didn't feel any pain, but his body was lethargic from the stress.

The doors at the far end of the room opened as the Danger Room worked on clearing the ice layers. Magneto floated towards Bobby quickly. "How do you feel?"

"I can't freakin' move!" Bobby complained, as he rolled on his back to look at him. "That sucked nuts, man!"

"Well the good news is that I believe you were able to reach an organic state," the older man acknowledged. "There are fourteen stages of ice formation and you were able recreate it to the very last stage. This is most encouraging."

"Are you kidding me?" Bobby spat as he struggled to his feet. "I don't think I can ever even do that again!"

"It will take some practice, Iceman, but I do believe that in due time you will be able to summon such powers in a matter of seconds," Magneto exclaimed; if Bobby didn't know any better, the old fart seemed almost excited. "There is only one more test I want to do, and you will be excused."

"You're joking right?" He sighed. "I already look like an icy porcupine, what the hell else do you want me to do?"

Magneto seemed to admire the armor he created and smiled. "I have one more theory I would like to see if you could prove, and then I will go over all of the results with you."

"Fine, whatever," he winced at the cracking sound that was produced when he waved his hand. "Just tell me what I have to do so I can get out of here."

Magneto nodded. "All I want you to do is to cool the temperature of this room once I leave. And I want you to keep cooling it until you cannot do so anymore."

"That's it?" Bobby asked incredulously. "Sure, let's do this."

"Okay, so I'm going to tell you when to start and all I want you to do is focus on making the room cold, okay? This should not take very long," Magneto explained as he began to back out of the room.

Bobby took a good look at his hands and arms as he waited for Magneto's signal. His body was now completely transparent and covered in knife-like ice spikes. It would have looked cool if it didn't freak him out so much.

"Okay Bobby, whenever you are ready you may begin," Magneto instructed.

Bobby nodded and clenched his fists; he had to focus on all of the heat molecules in the room that he could feel floating in the air around his body. Because of the previous mess he had made in the room, it didn't take him that long to find what he was looking for. Once he felt the presence, he let out a massive energy blast from his body, and the room began to fall in temperature. He wasn't even a single minute into it before Magneto yelled at him to stop.

The loud sound of cracking ice was heard as he turned his neck in his mentor's direction. "What?"

"Bobby, you may come up here now. Power down," was all that Magneto said.

It took a lot longer than usual, but once all the ice was reabsorbed through his body, Bobby was left standing only in a pair of shorts. His hair and clothing were completely soaked with moisture, and his skin was bluish in color and clammy. He gave himself a good shake to rid of the excess water before he left the room.

Once he reached the observation room, Magneto was speaking urgently with the Professor. Bobby swallowed; that couldn't be good. "So how did I do?"

Both men's heads snapped around to look at him. The Professor wheeled himself forward and bit his lip. "Bobby, I want to apologize in advance for not giving you this opportunity before. This is really something that I should have looked into."

"What are you talking about, Prof?" Bobby asked him. He took a seat on a nearby chair.

"Robert, we believe that the extent of your power may have been incorrectly diagnosed before," Magneto began. "In fact, the actual physiology of your powers was mistaken."

"Do I have cancer or something?" Bobby asked worriedly. "You guys are freaking me out."

"Bobby, we were under the assumption that you created ice, and that was your mutant power," The Professor spoke slowly. "We now believe that is not entirely accurate."

"Uh, okay, so why can I make ice then?" He asked, completely confused. Old people just couldn't get to the point sometimes.

"We believe that you are what they call 'thermalkinetic'. That means that you are able to manipulate thermal energy," Magneto explained.

"Uh, doesn't thermal mean heat?" Bobby asked.

"Precisely," The Professor acknowledged. "We believe that you absorb heat to create sub-zero temperatures. The manipulation of it comes into play when you create the ice."

"Well that's great, I guess," Bobby scratched the back of his head. "So we did all these tests just for that? No offense or anything, but that's not all that exciting."

Magneto looked at Xavier, and then back to Bobby. "Robert, you crashed the temperature of that room down to 28 Kelvin. If you would have gone any further, you would have destroyed all the matter in that room. You were also able to achieve organic ice status, which is basically impossible in nature."

Bobby grinned cockily. "Well that's pretty cool."

"Indeed," Xavier replied. "But that's not all. Have you ever heard of the term 'Omega level' mutant?"

The rest of his team entering the Danger Room below caught his eye, and he shrugged distractedly. "No."

"Well Robert, an Omega level mutant is one of the most powerful known mutants known to man," Magneto sat in front of him and gave him a serious look. "It is a near limitless power potential."

Bobby shifted uncomfortably. "So what are you saying?"

"We need to run a few more exercises," Xavier replied. "But we are certain you have the potential to wield such a power."

Bobby didn't quite know what to say to that. On one hand, it was a major stroke to his ego that his power was put well above the best in the world. However, the amount of power that Omega must mean was incomprehensible to him. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to try to reach that point. For all he knew he could kill himself trying.

He was a freak amongst freaks.

"So we will meet again tomorrow," Magneto nodded at him. "You are excused from training with the rest of the team today. Rest up."

Magneto strode passed him and left the room to join the remainder of his team, with Xavier not far behind. He had to decide whether or not he even wanted to participate in more so called exercises. What did it even matter how strong he was anyways? It was just ice, and nothing special. He looked down at his hands, which were still quite wet from his previous activity, and noted the slight blue tint in his skin.

Without another word, he stood up and left the room.

* * *

Mystique sat seated at her computer as she printed off the last few maps from her files. As part of the team's first test, she was not going to participate in the mission with them. She wanted to make sure that they were ready and that Gambit and Avalanche would be able to successfully lead the team themselves using tactics and strategy plans. This mission would also tell her who would be able to cut it as members. They were only as good as their weakest link, and she wasn't going to keep anyone around who would bring them down. 

However, her usual confident demeanor was set aside as she felt just a little bit nervous for them. Many times she had relied on her old Brotherhood team in the past, and they had managed to make asses of themselves every time. The new mission was going to be the first one after months of them training and improving, as well as with their newest recruits. She wasn't completely scared per se, but she did have her lingering doubts. If her hunch about Graydon's activities were true, then her team would have their hands full with him and his entire organization.

And she would take it down piece by piece if she had to. She could not believe that someone like Graydon - who had such close ties to mutants - would pull off what he was attempting to do. He was a man who came from a long line of strong mutant genes, and just because he was a human it gave him no excuse to betray who he was. An ordinary human mutant-hater was bad enough in her books, but people like Graydon made her absolutely livid. For all she knew, he probably was a latent mutant. He had no right to be starting and leading hate groups against his own heritage - especially when the two people who brought him into the damn world were mutants themselves.

She turned around at the sound of a small knock. "Come in."

"Ya wanted to see me?" Gambit poked his head through the door and stood before her.

"Yes," She handed him the maps that she had printed off and stood from her seat. "These are the directions to where your target is located. I want you to hang on to them and go over them carefully."

He nodded at her. "Is this some kinda warehouse or somethin'?"

"Yes. This is where I believe they are keeping all of their files. The security there will probably be tight," She acknowledged him. "But I have faith in your abilities to slip by."

He smirked. "A little security never stopped me before."

"Good," She nodded at him and folded her arms. "But I want you to keep in mind that you will not be alone. I do not want any stunts pulled by you, and I am expecting you to get the rest of the team through the building."

He nodded. "I think I can handle that."

"Let's hope so," She replied. "They are quite inexperienced compared to you and Pyro."

"I know that," He replied smoothly. "But I've been trainin' them hard. I think they're ready for where I think they should be."

"Good because there are different areas that need to be covered, and certain tasks that need to be completed. So keep in mind who can do what," She instructed. "I do not want anyone bringing us down either. If anyone puts this team or mission in jeopardy, I want them dealt with accordingly.

She noticed him swallow hard. "I won't leave anyone behind."

"You'll do what's necessary," She hissed.

"That's right, but I won't leave a bunch of first timers to get their heads handed to 'em. Ya don't have to worry about it, Mystique, I have it under control," He kept his head high, which pleased her. However, she didn't want his confidence to cloud his objective.

"You better hope so," She snapped. She sat back down in her chair and leaned back in it. "Because your conviction is my assurance, so anything that happens will be on your head and you will deal with me. Are we understood, _Gambit_?"

His unique eyes flickered with what she guessed was annoyance. "Fine, I can deal with that."

She twirled one of her many guns through her fingers and grinned at him. "Good, then let's hope that we don't have any problems, right?"

He eyed the gun and then stared at her. "I'll see ya at de mission briefin'."

He quickly turned around and headed back out the door and up the stairs. If there was anyone on the team that she had confidence in their abilities it was Gambit, however she couldn't help but feel like the two of them walked on egg shells around each other. She knew all about Gambit and his feelings for Rogue, and that he was probably only working for her for the cash. That left her feeling suspicious about his loyalties every so often, but for the time being, she let it slide.

* * *

(1) I'm not a homophobe at all, so don't get the wrong idea. I actually love the Lietro pairing (because I'm a creep I guess), so don't be surprised if I throw in a few jokes here and there between those two (Lance and Pietro). And before you go jumping down my throat, no there won't be any slash in THIS story. 

**A/N**: I was going to add another section to this chapter (with John and Wanda), but it was getting long enough as it was. So that section will be in the next chapter right before the Brotherhood leaves for their mission (it'll be worth it, I promise you!). Hope you enjoyed! The reviews I got for last chapter were really awesome! Thanks so much for leaving your feedback, it's always appreciated :)


	8. FOH

**A/N**: So this is the beginning of the mission chapter! I tried as hard as I could to make it not jump so much, and I think I did decent enough, lol. If not, feel free to tell me that I suck. Also, I drew Lorna on my DeviantArt account. So if you're interested to see how she looks evo style, just go to twbasketcase dot deviantart dot com. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 8 - FOH**

* * *

Wanda dragged herself into the living room once she had finished preparing for their leave. Besides adding an additional utility belt to her normal uniform, she didn't change anything or carry any additional equipment. She was under the assumption that the rest of her team got some toys to play with, but she figured her powers were enough for her. So she threw her scarlet colored trench coat onto the couch, and turned to the only other person in the room. 

"You sure do have a whole lot of shit to carry around."

John grinned at her as he turned a valve on his flamethrower. "Ain't nothin' I'm not used ta. All of this is mine; Mystique didn't give me anythin'."

"What the hell do you need it all for?" Wanda asked. John was pretty much sitting in a pile of tubes and metal pieces. The flamethrower he usually used was not as nearly as complicated, so she figured that he had gotten his hands on some new parts.

"Ta make fire!" He chuckled. "I just have ta get all these pieces together."

"So where did you get them then?" she folded her arms over her chest as she stared down at him. "If Mystique didn't get them for you then you had to get them somewhere."

He winked at her. "Now that would be tellin', Sheila."

She rolled her eyes. "God, I'm not gonna tell your mommy on you or anything."

His eyes flashed with indifference. "Good luck findin' her even if ya wanted ta."

"Sorry," she muttered.

He held up the gun of the flamethrower and began to remove it. "No problem. She's not exactly a cup of tea anyway. Besides, I wasn't worryin' about ya tattlin'."

She watched as he connected the bare end of the hose to a connection on his glove. "Then what are you so worried about?"

He grinned. "Losin' my air of mystery of course!"

"Like you're so mysterious," Wanda rolled her eyes and sat on the floor next to him. "You yell and laugh about everything and you couldn't keep a secret if your life depended on it!"

"That is not true!" He laughed as he began to fill one canister with kerosene. "When have I ever told a secret?"

Wanda gave him a deadpanned look. "You spilled the beans when Tabby shaved Fred's head again. You 'accidentally' let it slip when we almost got Toad to eat that cat litter. You ruined Remy's surprise birthday, and you…"

"Okay!" John laughed. "At least I didn't tell anyone when you were pantsin' people with yer powers!"

"How did you know that was me?" Wanda scoffed. "I would never do such a thing!" She most certainly didn't tell him that she was responsible for that day when they had all gone to the carnival.

He stood from his spot on the floor and pulled the piece of equipment over his shoulders to adjust the strapping. "Ya were laughin'."

"So?" she scoffed. "You say it as if I never laugh."

He looked at her seriously. "Ya don't. Not really."

She felt the heat rise up in her cheeks. "Interesting that you notice such a thing."

He smirked as he removed his equipment and once again fiddled with the connectors. "I remember ya sayin' that bein' dark and gloomy was fun? Dark and gloomy people don't laugh!"

"I also said that I do that only when I want to," she quickly pointed out.

"Like how you were so cute and sweet to me yesterday?" He smirked at her. "Ya really are a little softie, aren't ya?"

She clenched her teeth as she felt a blush again. "Yeah and see if I ever treat you nice again, you shit. You're lucky you're handling explosives, or I'd send your ass into the wall."

"Sparin' me life again? I'm touched!" He began chuckling at his own antics as he released a small tester fire ball into his hand. "Now I'll haveta make sure I find a special way ta thank ya."

She tried her hardest to bite back a smile. "I don't even want to know what kind of crazy shit you would come up with."

He pulled his flamethrower back onto his shoulders and powered it up, making sure to control it so that he would not damage anything. He produced enough flame to manipulate it into the shape of a woman, and then more so it silhouetted her own figure. "I've got a few tricks up me sleeve!" He winked at her and extinguished the flame.

"You're going to have to do better than that," she said with mock boredom.

"I can light myself on fire if ya want," he replied all too casually. "That usually freaks people out."

Her eyes nearly bulged out of her skull. "_Why_ would you do something so stupid?"

"Because it's incredibly sexy, why else?" He grinned. "Ain't that right, Rocky?" John turned his attention to Lance, who was just entering the room himself.

"What are you babbling about?" The long haired boy asked, as he seated himself on the sofa behind Wanda. He also had a few new additions to his uniform, including some new refined shoulder armor that sat flat against his skin, as well as a new protective visor, free of the helmet he usually wore. His uniform top was also sleeveless. He eyed the fire bug closely. "You aren't talking about your secret obsession with Patricia Quinn again, are you?"

John smiled dreamily. "The lips get me every time."

Lance rolled his eyes. "Are you guys all ready to go?"

"Maaaaaybe!" John giggled and shot a flame out at Lance, which caused the long haired boy to flip over the back of the couch.

"John, you fucking idiot!" Lance yelled from the floor. "You fucked up my hair enough yesterday!"

"I tol' ya mate, it's getting' too long," John pulled the flamethrower off of his back once more, and finally sat on the floor next to Wanda. "I don't like mullets. They freak me out."

"I do _not_ have a mullet!" Lance protested, which almost sent Wanda into hysterics.

"Oh come on, mate, get real!" John grinned at him. "You'd put Dog to shame with that bad boy!"

Lance clenched his teeth and sent a tremor at John, which knocked the fiery mutant back. However, because John was in such close proximity to Wanda, it had caused her to fall back as well - and it pissed her off. She growled and flung her arm forward, reversing his powers against him. Lance let out a loud yelp as he was knocked off his feet and into the couch once more.

"What the hell are you morons doing?" Pietro ranted as he sped into the room. "You just broke my mirror!"

"Oh whatever shall we do?!" John mocked him. "Don't worry, Speedy! Those blow job handles on yer head are in position! We're good to go!"

"Excuuuse me!" Pietro shrieked. "Do not ever refer to my hair in such a way!"

Wanda finally shook her head and got back involved in the conversation. "Now that I think about it Pietro, that must be the reason you style your hair that way. Handlebars."

He perked an eyebrow at her. "I do not style it! It's wind blown! Because I'm fast, get it?"

Lance finally peeled himself from the floor. "I always thought you were gay."

"Only because _you_ want me to be!" Pietro retorted. "Sorry, no can do for you, buddy."

"No way, you'd be too fast," John waved him off casually. "If a bloke was to participate in such a thin', he'd at least want to get off."

"That's disgusting," Wanda commented. "Like anyone can get off from my brother."

"Hey everyone!" Tabitha announced as she stepped into the room. Wanda rolled her eyes and watched as John's smile faltered into a smirk.

"Well some people would get off even if they fucked a toilet plunger, so who the hell knows?" He grinned at Wanda. "I've heard of stranger things."

Wanda bit back a laugh at the look on Tabby's face. The blonde girl deposited a duffel bag onto the ground and folded her arms. "What did you just say?"

Pietro sped next to her and gently pushed her towards the couch. "They were just talking about my ruggedly handsome features! What else?"

"Like that's even a conversation topic," Wanda scoffed. "I'd rather eat my own puke."

"Or chew off my own foot," Lance pitched in from next to Tabitha.

Toad hopped into the room and cuddled up to Wanda. "I'm here, cuddlebumps! There's no need to be scared."

Wanda let out a low growl. "Get. Off. Of. Me. Douchebag."

Pietro let out a snort at that. "He probably doesn't even know what that is."

Toad's hold didn't loosen and he grinned at her. "I hope we're on the same team!"

Wanda felt her fists glowing. "If you're still alive by then."

"Todd, give it up!" Lance groaned. "You need to grow up, man. We gotta focus on the mission and you acting like a little tart isn't going to help us."

"I'm just giving my girlfriend some moral support," the amphibious mutant stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You cling to Kitty all the time!"

"Yeah, and the cat actually likes him back, clacker," John chuckled. He gestured toward Tabitha. "Of course you can always go after somethin' you can actually fuck!" (1)

"Hey!" Pietro and Tabitha both exclaimed. Tabby glared at him. "I said I was sorry!"

"And I said you were a whore!" John laughed.

"You better watch what you say, Allerdyce!" Pietro sped up to him and poked a finger in his chest.

"What?" He retorted, a little angrier that time. "Not my problem she can't resist any ole bloke who can crack a fat!" (2)

Pietro pushed John to the ground, and Wanda stood and hexed her brother into the other room. "Back off, Pietro!"

"Yeah, listen to poopsie!" Toad stood next to her with his hands on his hips. Wanda immediately spun around to face him, and hexed him on top of Pietro.

"Shut up, Toad!"

"You need to get over this!" Tabitha approached John. "I said I was sorry, and we need to work together on this team!"

John glared at her and stood from the floor. "The only thing I need to work on is makin' sure ya didn't give me herpes."

Wanda snorted in spite of herself, and Tabitha turned to her. "Don't listen to him!"

"Well I don't blame him," Lance lulled casually from the couch. "But that's just me."

"And it's about time someone actually spoke up," Wanda muttered to her. "You've been with everyone at least once since you've been here."

"Not me!" Lance threw in again happily.

"Give me a break!" Tabby sighed and shook her head. "You don't know anything anyways, Wanda! You're probably just jealous because nobody wants you!"

"I do!" Toad yelled from the other room. A loud smack was heard from the same direction. "Ow, Pietro!"

Wanda's hand grew blue. "No, I just have some self respect."

Tabitha stepped toward her with a frown on her face. "And I just want to have some fun with my life and not be a living corpse! So I guess we're even!"

"We are _not_ even!" Wanda clenched her teeth and she too stepped closer so their noses were only inches apart. "Don't ever compare me to you!"

"I wouldn't, ever!" Tabitha laughed in her face. "I wouldn't want to!"

"Girls!" Came a loud, deep voice from behind them. "As much as this here Cajun loves a cat fight, ya better settle down!"

Wanda, not being one to step down, gave Tabitha a challenging glare. Both Lance and John groaned from either side of the girls.

"Rem! Why did ya break that up, mate? Do ya realize what ya just did?!"

Remy rolled his eyes and grabbed Tabitha's shoulder and pushed her toward the couch. "I've done few things in my life that I regret, mon ami, but we need to smarten up. Raven's comin' up for mission briefin', so I suggest y'all take a seat and listen up!"

Pietro and Todd finally made their way back into the living room after Wanda had released her hex on them, and the group was also soon after joined by Fred. Wanda returned to her seat on the floor in front of the couch, and Pietro and John sat on either side of her. Tabitha, Lance, and Todd took the couch, and Fred sat in his armchair. Remy nodded and folded his arms from the middle of the room. "Glad ya kept things under control, oh team-leader-Avalanche."

Lance rolled his eyes at him. "I wasn't getting my head knocked off."

Remy ignored him and looked around. "Who made up the med kit?"

"I did," Tabitha replied, and pointed to the bag she had dropped onto the floor. Remy nodded at her and picked it up.

"Frog-boy, you be takin' dis with you. Strap it on yer back and leave it there for the whole mission." He threw the bag toward Toad and looked around again.

"Avalanche, Pyro, and Scarlet, I want you guys to make sure that you especially make use of the armor you were given." His red on black eyes rested on Wanda. "And you be especially alert."

He looked at Pietro and Todd. "I'll be keepin' the maps with me, so ya both don't have ta worry much about takin' anythin' but that kit." He leaned over the coffee table and grabbed two comm devices. "Lance and Tabs will be takin' dese for their teams. Keep them on at all times, no exceptions." He took the third one for himself and hooked it up his own utility belt.

A few seconds later, Mystique walked into the room and gestured for Remy to allow her to speak. He moved to lean against the door frame, and Mystique took the center of the floor. She folded her arms. "I expect you all have your equipment ready?" She didn't wait for any replies. "This is your first mission. I want you all to keep alert and stick to any objectives specifically assigned to you. If you fail to do so, you will be without a place to live when you come back.

"The name of the organization that we will be infiltrating is the F.O.H. That stands for the 'Friends of Humanity' and they are probably the fastest rising anti-mutant hate group throughout the United States." She handed a photo to Lance to pass around. "The man in charge of the operation is named Graydon Creed. I do not expect you to find him in the building we are going to first. The only traces of human life you should come across there is security."

"So what's the point of this?" Pietro scoffed. "Break into an empty building? How effective."

"Information, Quicksilver," she retorted, and looked extremely annoyed. "I'm not stupid enough to send you after officials on your first try. That would be suicide. You will be looking for any files on any major members of the group, any blue prints, plans, or anything pertaining to FOH objectives." She put her hands on her hips and straightened her posture. "If you find any files on known mutants, I want them destroyed."

"So you want all eight of us to look for papers?" Fred asked. "That seems like a lot of people for one thing."

"Gambit has divided you into teams, and each team will have their own agenda. He put you where he believes you will be needed," Mystique replied. "That being said, you will take out any person who gets in your way. Most likely, you will be looking for a computer, so you have to make sure not to damage any major pieces of equipment in there unless it's checked over thoroughly first.

"Once the information is found, Gambit or Avalanche will direct you what to do from there. If there are any major operations that are going on there - such as weapon building, for example - I want you to destroy the building. If it is vacant and you are able to obtain information without conflict, I want you to retreat back so to not create a disturbance. Only do what you need to do, and don't get carried away." She gave a pointed look to John at that.

"Yes ma'am!" He laughed from next to Wanda.

She said nothing and reached out to Remy, who gave her a piece of paper. "Your teams will be as follows: Meltdown and Blob, you will approach first and create a diversion for security. Once security is after them, Toad, Quicksilver, and Gambit will enter the building. Your primary objective is to locate the computer and find the information we are looking for. Lastly, Avalanche, Scarlet Witch, and Pyro will scout the building for any other possible activity and take care of it. You will also take care of destroying any technological security devices."

"So we get to be the wrecking crew," Lance smirked. "Sounds like fun."

"Just don't get carried away," Mystique repeated. "I want you all to report back to this base as soon as your objectives are completed, and we will have a debriefing. Are there any questions?"

"Yeah," Lance spoke up. "How exactly are we getting there? I don't know about you guys, but I don't feel like walking to New York City."

Wanda snorted at that, and looked at Mystique, who kept her cool. "There is a warehouse on the west side of Bayville. It its completely abandoned and locked up. I have a jet there that will be for our use for now on when doing missions. You will go there and take it, and return back there when you come back."

"Who the hell do you expect to fly that thing?!" Wanda nearly screeched. "I'd rather hex my own ass there myself then let one of these morons fly a jet."

"No worries, petite," Remy smirked from behind Mystique. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

Mystique nodded. "Good. Now move out. I'll be waiting for you."

* * *

Once the jet landed in a wooded area, the Brotherhood waited for Remy to give them their first orders. It was nearly ten o'clock at that point, so the clouded night sky provided no light for the team to use on their way to the building - which was nearly a third of a mile away. Gambit had pulled on his head dress and trench coat, and looked over the team. 

"Okay Blob and Meltdown leave first. Approach the building from the front entrance side. Tabby, you can probably use your powers for this, and Freddy, I want you to make sure she don't get shot or nothin'. Once you get your first visual on any guards, give a shout over your comm, and my team'll move in." He looked over a map carefully and looked back up at Tabitha. "Go straight west from here and you will come to that side of the buildin'."

He turned to John and Lance. "I want y'all to approach on the south side, and get around back. There's a stairwell entrance there and I want ya to take it to the basement and disconnect any security alarms, cameras, or monitors." He gave Lance a copy of the map. "If you find anythin' in the basement, get back to me. Once that area is cleared, I want Avalanche to cover up the staircase completely so it's blocked off from anyone who's in the buildin'."

"With the distactin' on the west side, and Avalanche's team takin' out the east, my boy's will be goin' in on de north." He regarded Toad and Quicksilver. "And I don't wan' either of ya two fuckin' around, ya hear me? We need to keep quiet and get in as fast as possible. As soon as we find what we're lookin' for, we don't wait around. We get out, and leave the rest until the other two teams are able to retreat." He scanned the faces in front of him with his red on black eyes and blinked. "Does everyone know what they're doin'?"

"So when do we get ta eat?"

"As soon as ya grow a brain, Pyro," Gambit rolled his eyes and turned back to Tabitha. "You guys can get goin' now. If you guys run into any trouble ya can't handle, Avalanche will send backup to come bail y'all out."

Tabby nodded and looked at Fred who was opening the jet door. She grabbed her utility belt and her protective glasses from the seat next to her and followed him.

* * *

"So do you think I'm too heavy, Freddy?" Tabby joked with him. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as he charged through the forest. The front entrance of the warehouse was in view, and Tabitha just knew a distraction was the perfect job for her and the Blob. He stopped under a sensor light and let her down. 

She looked around. "And where should I start?" She rubbed her hands together quickly and developed a handful of small time bombs. She put one between each of her fingers, and threw them right into the door. Immediately, sirens began to blare, and lights went off. She grinned at Fred. "No one said I was bad at making an entrance."

"Well just get ready," he told her, pushing her behind his back. "I don't know how many of 'em there are."

The first two guards ran at them with their guns drawn. A small fire had started to spread at the entrance, so the men were coming from windows and other sides of the building. Tabitha pressed down on the comm device on her chest and grinned. "Guards are out, you guys can go."

"Good, Meltdown," came Gambit's voice. Tabby stared at the men and shrugged her shoulders.

"Stop where you are! Get down on the ground now, and no one will get hurt!"

"Except you!" Fred yelled, and ripped the street lamp from the ground. He quickly spun around to put some momentum behind his swing, and released the pole right into the stomachs of a line of men.

Tabby threw a few more bombs in the direction of the men's guns as they ducked for cover. She was able to get in a bit of offense on them as they laid on the ground; two of them were rendered unconscious, and the third had grabbed hold of her arm. "You're coming with me, girly!"

"I don't think so!" she grinned and landed a spin kick into his chin, and immediately followed through with a kick to the groin. The man instinctively grabbed himself and fell to his knees, allowing Tab to elbow him in the back of the head, and drop a cherry bomb down his shirt for good measure.

"You okay?" she heard Fred yell. She spun around and watched as six men attempted to pull Fred to the ground. He had managed to get their weapons from their hands. She ran toward him, but was once again grabbed by another guardsman.

"Shit!" she yelped.

"I got ya now, punk!" the man held her tightly by her bare torso and laughed into her ear. She struggled to break free of his hold, so she swung her head back as fast as she could, and head butted him in the bridge of the nose. A new time bomb popped from her hand and she held it in front of his face.

"Don't fucking move!" she yelled at him. He raised his hands up, so she pushed him down with her foot. "You make one more move toward me and I'll blow you the hell up!"

"They're mutants!" her captive screamed toward his quickly falling comrades. "Watch out!"

Tabby rolled her eyes. "You just had to make this hard on yourself, didn't you?"

* * *

Lance, Wanda, and John quickly made a dash southward from the jet. From the distance, John could see the smoke and light illuminating the front part of the building. It looked to be approximately three levels tall, and was built with large cinderblocks. It was definitely a large building, so he was expecting a lot of ground to cover. They stopped behind a large tree when voices were heard. 

"Stay back!" Lance ordered.

John peeked around the side of the tree and watched as a group of about a half dozen guardsmen ran toward the front of the building. Instinctively, he powered up his flamethrower and blasted a large flame toward the men, and stopped them in mid run.

"We're not directed to take people out!" Lance whispered harshly.

"No, but we were directed to take out anyone in our way," Wanda cut him off, and ran out from her spot behind the tree and toward the men. John grinned at Lance.

"Little spitfire she is, huh?" Lance only rolled his eyes and shoved John forward.

"Get going!"

The guardsmen turned when they heard the sound of Wanda's running footsteps, and immediately pointed their guns at her and fired. John's heart nearly jumped out of his throat when he saw the fiery blasts shoot from the weapons. Wanda, however, only raised her hands and stopped all of the bullets in midair, and glared at her would be attackers.

"Holy shit!" one the men screamed.

Lance pushed his way forward from behind John and slammed his fists into the ground, causing a large tidal wave in the concrete. The rippling effect blew all of the surrounding light poles right out of the ground, and sent them hurtling toward the guards. All six of the men were blasted into the concrete wall, half of which toppled right on top of them.

Wanda released her hold on the bullets and let them drop to the ground. She turned around and faced the two boys. "Are they out?"

John and Lance jogged to catch up with her and the group of three stared at the fallen pile of bodies. Lance only shrugged and stomped his foot on the ground, causing the rest of the wall to fall. "They are now." John could only smirk at that.

"We need to get to the back of the building," Lance ordered. The south wall extended for nearly another seventy-five yards before he could get a visual on the back area. John nodded toward his teammates and the three teenagers ran toward it. Once they reached it, they came across three garage doors that led into what looked like a loading bay, and just past those stood a large concrete door that led to the inside. Wanda threw her arms out in front of her and completely ripped the door from its hinges. Lance raised an arm to signal them to stop. "We need to take caution."

He pressed himself against the wall, and slowly peeked his head around the corner to peer inside the building. John quickly followed his lead, and stood closely behind Lance. "Get over here, Sheila!" John whispered to Wanda. She rolled her eyes and stood next to him.

"Are we going in?" She asked haughtily.

Lance nodded. "It's dark. Pyro, I need you to make us some light."

"No problem," the pyromaniac powered up his flamethrower long enough to produce a nice sized fireball, and held it well over the team's heads.

Lance slowly peered back inside the building and took a quick look around. "The stairwell is clear. Keep the torch going until we find some more light. Let's go!"

The long haired mutant quickly made a dash around the corner, and was followed closely behind by John and Wanda. The stairwell was made of pure concrete, and the only thing in it was a plain, black railing that ran down both sides of the stairs. Lance had taken the steps in twos, and stopped after he had finished down the sixth set. "Finally we have a fucking door."

Wanda used her powers to hex off the security code box that stood to the left of the doorknob. However, as soon as Lance kicked the door in and the team stepped inside, a large steel door fell down in the place of the old one, leaving the them trapped inside.

"What the bloody hell?" John exclaimed and looked around. "This room is huge!" the boy stared in wonder around the warehouse, until a very eerie and very loud set of footsteps could be heard.

"_Mutant DNA detected. Destroy target_."

Wanda glared at Lance, who only gulped. "Oh shit."

* * *

Remy grabbed his stomach as Pietro stopped in front of the north side of the building. The speed demon had latched onto him and Todd, and had practically dragged them at super speed to the building from the aircraft. "I do not like travellin' that fast, mon ami." 

Pietro only smirked at him. "Yeah, and I'll remember that next time you call me a wussy, gumbo."

Remy rolled his eyes and quickly pressed the palm of his hand against a window and charged it up. "Stand back, hommes."

Pietro and Todd quickly moved out of the way as the glass from the pane shattered outwards. Todd quickly used his massive legs to propel himself up onto the window ledge, and looked around. "This room's clear, yo."

"Good," Remy nodded at Pietro. "Get in there." Pietro took a run at the wall, and scaled it into the room. Remy took out his bo staff and catapulted himself inside, and scanned his surroundings. The room was a janitor's closet by the looks of it, only a lot larger than a normal one. There were shelves and shelves of cleaning materials, mops, brooms, and a cart.

Pietro snorted. "Isn't it ironic that this is the room that Toad jumps into?"

"Shut up," Remy muttered and made his way toward the door. "We must be near the offices if this is a closet, mes amis. This should not take long."

The Cajun mutant quietly opened the door and scanned the dark hallways with his unique eyes, which gave him a little bit of improvement in his night vision. The hallways were clear of any activity, and the only sounds heard were those coming from the fight outside the lobby. He motioned for the two boys to follow him, and ran at a jogger's pace down the hall. There were three doors in the corridor before an apparent stairway, so Remy tried his luck with the first one.

And got a bathroom.

He rolled his eyes and continued to the second, and this time was a little more successful. "Here we go, mes amis."

Pietro immediately sped through the filing cabinets, while Todd started rummaging through the desk drawers. Remy took it upon himself to hack into the office computer.

"Holy shit, boys," Pietro muttered from the other side of the room.

Remy raised his eyes from the monitor and looked at the white haired boy. "What is it?"

Pietro smirked and held up a pornographic magazine. "See those tits?"

Remy rolled his eyes and began typing on the computer once more. "You need to get laid, homme."

"Ha, coming from you that's a laugh," Pietro smirked as he went back to rummaging. Remy ignored him and inserted a small flash drive into the computer; it contained a security virus that allowed access to all password guarded areas of a system's network. Moments later, a window popped up. "Welcome Mr. Creed."

Remy grinned. "Bingo!"

"Oh boy," Todd muttered from below Remy. Remy only rolled his eyes.

"If that's more porn, you can put it away!"

"No, it's not that," Todd mumbled. He stood from his spot on the floor and held a brown envelope in his hands. He offered it to Remy, whose eyes nearly bulged from his skull when he saw what it was.

"That's Mystique!" he looked at the picture closely and handed it to Pietro when the boy sped over. There was a whole pile of notes within the folder, and along with it were more pictures; the faces of Sabretooth, Nightcrawler, and Rogue all stared back at him. Remy had felt the anger boil up inside of him at the thought of the douchebag who ran the organization having a picture of his girlfriend inside of his desk.

"It gets better!" Todd squeaked. "It says here that our boss lady is this guy's mom!"

"WHAT?!" Pietro and Remy both exclaimed simultaneously.

"Yep," Todd handed the notes to Remy. "Apparently the boss lady gave him up because he was just a human. He started this whole thing because of her."

Remy swept all of the contents of the envelope back inside, and tucked it underneath of his trench coat. "Not a word about this! At least not until we know more, d'accord?" (3) The two boys nodded. "Get back to it."

Remy continued onto Graydon's desktop and opened up his document folder. His eyes scanned a list of folders, all of which did not have nice sounding names.

'_Known mutants - Omega, Alpha, Beta, Epsilon-Delta'  
'Xavier's School of Gifted Students'  
'Lensherr, Eric'  
'Bastion'  
'Trask, Bolivar'  
'Operation: Zero Tolerance/Omega Prime Sentinel Program'  
'S.H.I.E.L.D. agent files'  
'Legacy'  
'FOH rally dates'  
'Concert Bookings'_

Remy smirked at the last one and deleted it, just to be a brat. Some of the names on there were obviously known to him, but the others were new information. He selected all of the files in front of him, and began to print them off. He stood from the desk chair and regarded Pietro and Todd. "Find anything else?"

Pietro nodded. "This whole filing cabinet is filled with mutant profiles. Hell, my dad's in here, all of the X-Men are here, even the Brotherhood minus you and Pyro. There are even people in here that I've never heard of before."

"As soon as we're done here, I blow that up!" Remy growled. He grabbed the stack of papers from the printer tray and tucked them safely into his trench coat. "Let's go." The two boys stood up and rushed out of the room. Remy turned before he left and charged an entire deck of cards before tossing them into the room and running. A loud explosion was heard from behind them, and unfortunately for the three boys, set off another round of alarms.

"I thought Avalanche was supposed to turn those off, yo!" Toad yelled.

"He was," Remy growled before heading to the stairwell at the end of the hall.

* * *

(1) 'Clacker' - anus  
(2) 'Crack a fat' - get an erection (to be polite, lol)  
(3) 'D'accord?' - is 'understand?' in French 

_**A/N**_: Okay, bit of a cliffhanger! Sorry! I hope you liked it so far and my actions scenes were too damn crappy, lol. I tried my best. Anyhow, so just so everyone is caught up: Meltdown and Blob are taking out security; Wanda, Pyro, and Avalanche are trapped in the warehouse basement with a sentinel; and Gambit, Toad, and Quicksilver uncovered a whole shit load of info…but are still stuck in the building. The mission will continue in the next chapter, so I hope you'll come back to read :) Thanks a bunch, and don't forget to drop me a line before you leave!


	9. Total Chaos

**A/N**: Okay, so here's the rest of the mission. Once again, I've tried my best with the action sequences (I still have to get used to writing them), so feel free to let me know if you think anything sucks about it.  
Also, keep in mind that the entire battle from 'Day of Reckoning' has been erased from Wanda's memory, and the only Sentinel she would recall seeing is the one that Magneto tried to kill her with in 'Ascension'.

* * *

**Chapter 9 - Total Chaos**

* * *

"Uh…Rocky?" 

Lance groaned, but his eyes never left the approaching Sentinel. "What, Pyro?"

"What the hell do we do now?" The Australian asked in a panicky voice. Honestly, Lance had no idea what to do. He had only ever come face to face with a Sentinel one time, and the combined efforts of the X-Men and the Brotherhood couldn't take it down. So, he yelled the first thing that came to mind.

"Hide!"

The three teens scrambled and dove under tables and pieces of debris. Lance wasn't sure what kind of tracking devices the hunk of junks held within them, so he was hoping that hiding from the giant robot would at least confuse it.

That is…if robots even got confused.

He shook his head of his worrying thoughts and watched in horror as the Sentinel ripped a steel table from the ground that was hiding Wanda. She put her hands above her head in fear - she must have forgotten all about her powers in the panic - and curled in a ball to protect herself. Lance clenched his teeth and pounded his fists into the ground as hard as could; he focused on the seismic waves beneath him, and summoned the uprising of as much lithosphere he could possibly muster in the earth below the building. His eyes rolled to the back of his head due to the pressure, and he could hear the screams of his teammates as the building's roof began to crumble. The pressure was so intense that he could feel every bone in his body vibrating. Another shift in the ground below him occurred, and he summoned a large chunk of molten rock up from the Earth's core, and through the floor of the warehouse.

And then the giant Sentinel hit the ground. Lance instantly retracted his arms from the ground, and fell to his side in pain; the only thing he could hear was a dull buzzing noise, and the throbbing of his head - because somehow throbbing seemed to _have_ a sound at that moment. Swirls of colors appeared before his eyes, and he knew that a migraine was coming. He shook his head roughly, and grunted as he was hauled to his feet.

"Ya okay, Rocky?" John's broken Australian accent filled his ears. Lance clenched his eyes closed, and tried to open them again; tears were openly flowing from them.

Lance nodded. "I'll be fine…just a…headache."

"Good, 'cause we can't lose ya right now," John yelped as Wanda ran toward the boys. The Sentinel had made its way to its feet, and its eyes glowed a bright yellow.

"How do we stop it?" Wanda yelled to him.

"I never fought one of these things!" John exclaimed in the same panicked voice from earlier.

"Hex it!" Lance ordered Wanda. "Rip its fuckin' head off, or something!"

The Sentinel approached the three teens with footsteps strong enough to vibrate the building's foundations. Four missile launchers erupted from the robot's shoulders and pointed at them. Wanda growled and held her hands outwards, sending a massive bolt of energy at the robot. Instantly, the missile launchers spontaneously combusted, which gave John the opportunity to intensify the heat of the fire; however, their energies seemed to be fought off by the giant, as he continued to zero in on the young mutants.

Lance swallowed and jumped out of the way as the Sentinel swung its massive set of claws down at his former position. He clicked the button of his comm device. "Gambit, where the fuck are you guys?"

"_You_ _were supposed to take out security, Avalanche_!" Remy growled back just as quickly. "_What is your position_?"

"In a bottomless pit with a three story tall robot, you dick!" Lance yelled back, and once again flipped away from an oncoming laser. "We could use your help!"

"_A Sentinel_?"

"Yes!" Lance nearly screeched that time. "We're in the basement! Hurry the hell up and get down here!"

Lance watched as John sent another large burst of flame at the robot, but his power seemed to do nothing to the robot at all. The long haired mutant wasn't sure, but he figured that the metal the Sentinels were made of must have been the same indestructible crap that Wolverine had inside of him. No matter how hot the heat became, not a single part on the damn thing melted. And while Lance had been able to knock the robot down with his tremors, the only thing that had done was stall time for the Brotherhood members. He needed to come up with a plan, and come up with one fast.

* * *

Tabitha held a glowing ball in her hand as a man almost double her size laid under her boot. He didn't make any move to remove himself from his position, as he probably feared that she would blow him up. Fred, on the other hand, had been left to fend for himself against a large group of men; men who were shooting guns at him and hanging off of his limbs as if he were some dangerous animal on the loose. 

Fred was not an animal, and he hated to be treated that way.

The five hundred pound teen let out a monstrous roar and flung four bodies off of his arms as if they were mere rag dolls. As durable as his skin was, it still didn't feel very good to be at the hands of their assault. His anger would completely overcome him when in times of distress, and the Blob would show amazing feats of strength.

With about fifteen guns pointed at his body, times called for a little bit of anger.

Another three men charged at him with their guns in the air. They swung them at him as if they were baseball bats; they hit him in the knees, the elbows, the head, but mostly his protruding stomach. All of them were yelling with every blow that they dealt, calling him things like 'fat ass,' 'freak,' 'mutie,' and the like. One man had even been brave enough to punch him in the abdomen with his fists, but this had only angered Fred more. The Mohawk-clad teenager grabbed the man roughly by his arm, and accidentally crushed the bones in it.

"What did you do to me!?" the guard screamed in agonizing pain.

"Get off of me!" Fred yelled in panic. "I don't want you hurting us anymore!"

"Then you muties better surrender!" A man with a black flak jacket yelled at him. Fred couldn't see his face because it was covered with a black helmet, and a black tinted visor. He was the only guard dressed in complete black military garb, and Fred briefly wondered if he was the only one dressed that way…and why that was.

"What are you going to do then, huh? Try and shoot me some more?" Fred yelled, as he flung another man from off of his back. "Meltdown!"

The blonde haired girl nodded her head and dropped the time bomb onto her captor, apparently rendering him unconscious. She began to rub her hands together at an inhuman rate, and blew into them repeatedly. Within a matter of seconds, she had two hand loads of bombs. "I'll get them, Blob!" She yelled to him.

Fred picked the last two guards that were latched to him off of his shoulders and flung them into the waiting group of security with ease. The two Brotherhood members were set up against approximately thirty guards; they had been running from the building sporadically since their arrival. Of course, with Tabby throwing all of her bombs around and being the smaller of the two, most of the men immediately went to Fred first - preferring the _seemingly_ safer option. With the bodies finally lying in a pile on top of each other, Tabitha proceeded to fling bomb after bomb after bomb; Fred could hardly keep track of where they were coming from, or how many she had actually thrown. The entire front driveway, lobby, and lawn of the building was completely destroyed by fire and destruction by the two mutants, and Fred was beginning to wonder just how much more they would have to do before they got a radio from one of the team's field leaders.

Tabitha threw one last bomb at the ground before stepping over a man's face. She lifted her glasses up and grinned. "I would say we distracted them."

Fred nodded. "We smashed them good, didn't we?"

Tabby grinned and high-fived the large mutant. "Who needs them when we have Blob and Meltdown?!"

Fred stepped over to the man dressed in black, and dragged his body out from under the rest. He was covered in flak from nearly head to toe, and looked as though he belonged in some high tech CIA raid, or something. The gun that the man wielded was also different from the rest of the guards, as his was a submachine gun. All of the other uniformed men carried semi-automatic pistols and shot guns. Tabitha grabbed the gun and proceeded to shove a bomb down the barrel before throwing it far into the trees of the forest.

"That guy looks like some high tech spec op," Tabitha muttered. "I wonder what he's doin' around here."

"I don't know," Fred scratched his head and dropped the man to the ground in a heap. "Do you think there's more of 'em?"

"I don't know, Freddy," Tabby replied, and looked as though she were in thought. "What do you suppose we do now?"

Before Fred could reply, however, their comm device came to life.

"_Gambit, where the fuck are you guys?" _that was Lance's voice.

"_You were supposed to take out security, Avalanche_!" Remy replied. "_What is your position_?"

"_In a bottomless pit with a three story tall robot, you dick_!" Both Tabitha and Fred started laughing at that. "_We could use your help_!"

"_A Sentinel?"_

"_Yes!"_ Tabitha's mouth fell upon in shock. "_We're in the basement! Hurry the hell up and get down here!_"

"We need to go help them!" Tabitha frowned. "We have to get inside the building!"

"No problem!" Fred growled and ran at the building as fast as his massive legs could carry him. As soon as he came to the pile of burning debris caused by their initial attack, he swung his fists and created them an opening into the lobby of the main floor of the building. Alarm bells were blaring throughout the halls, and sounds of explosions in the distance filled their ears. "We need to find a stairway."

Tabitha was about to retort, but she stopped and swung her head to her left. "Did you hear that?"

Fred held his breath in an attempt to really listen, and the sound of metal scraping across cement caught his attention. He looked around, and noticed a black canister rolling across the floor toward them. He pointed at it. "Say, didn't Mystique show us those?"

Tabby gulped and grabbed Fred's arm. "Stun grenade!"

They couldn't move fast enough, and before they could even blink, a massive flash of bright light blinded Fred enough to send him to his knees. The loud bang that followed rang through his ears at an alarming volume, and he felt momentarily paralyzed. He could not get his legs to work for him, and all he could see was the image of the grenade on the floor - as if his vision was frozen in time - in the exact same position as it had been right before it went off. No longer were the sirens flashing before his eyes, nor were the alarm bells ringing. His body and balance was completely thrown, and for the second time in his life, Fred Dukes was unnaturally rendered immoveable. (1)

Moments later he could feel hands pushing him toward the floor, and the cold, hard surface hitting his back. As his vision began to come to, the shape of guns pointed at his face and masked men stood before his very eyes, circling his body like lions on wounded prey. Their mouths were moving, but he was still unable to hear their voices; the shock effect of the stun grenade still buzzed through his sensitive ears.

Each and every one of the men was dressed in black flak - just like the naval commando outside; somehow, Fred just knew that guy was a sign of trouble.

* * *

Wanda growled and threw another hex bolt toward the large robot. It was walking toward her at an alarming speed, and no matter what she tried to throw at it, the damn thing just kept walking. She had been successful in combusting the missile launchers located on the shoulders, but it still had its chest cannons in tact. Once it had tried to shoot a strange green goo from another random cannon in its large body, but she was successful in reversing the probabilities of that shot, and managed to hit the Sentinel with it. 

It swung its massive claws around at the team in a crazed decapitation attempt, but the teens - thanks to their weeks of training - were able to go on the defensive to avoid being hit. That was about as good as they got however because not a single limb was detached, or computer short circuited. They were running out of ideas.

'_Mutant target chosen_,' The Sentinel stood only twenty feet from Wanda and opened up its massive hand at her. Instantly she could spot the head of a rocket set to launch from the giant sized palm. With all of her strength she threw a massive hex bolt at the rocket, only for it to bounce off as if it were made of rubber. The missile pulled back slightly and began to smoke. '_Destroy target_.'

Wanda's eyes widened in horror as the Sentinel planted its feet to shoot the rocket at her. She willed her legs to carry her away from the robot, but her panic set in and left her completely paralyzed. Her eyes clenched shut as she prayed for it to be over as quick as possible. Just as the sound of blast reached her ears, she felt her body be bulldozed over roughly to the ground.

* * *

"Toad," Remy ordered as the stealth team ran down the north corridor of the building. "I need you to do somethin', mon ami." 

The amphibious mutant stopped and smiled proudly at him. "Some super Toad body slam?" he swung a chop in a karate type fashion. "How 'bout some TKO - Total-Toad knock out?"

Remy rolled his eyes and removed all of the paper files from the inside of his trench coat. "I need you to take these and get the hell out of here."

He gave Remy a crestfallen look. "But you need me to help fight?! I need to stay here!"

"No!" Remy yelled. "And that's an order! I need you ta get yer ass outta here quick, and protect those files! That's the most important job, homme!"

Pietro scratched his head. "Should he go out there alone…?"

Remy narrowed his eyes. "You kids listen to me, and listen to me good. If we don't get those files back to Mystique by tonight then we gonna be in for a bad time, ya hear? She don't care if we get killed or hurt, she just want her files. Whoever dies, in her eyes, wasn't worth bein' on the team."

He swore he saw Todd's lip wobble. "Nobody can die, yo…"

"I know," Remy agreed. "Which is why we're gonna go get them. You need to protect the prize, an' get that jet an' med kit ready to take us home safely. That's the most important thing right now. Me an' Quicksilver gotta go help the others."

"Uh…okay," Todd swallowed hard and took the files. "What if ya don't come out?"

Remy bit his lip. "Then ya get those files to Mystique by sunrise. No questions asked."

"I really wish I could come with you guys, yo," Todd said before turning around. "I don't wanna feel so useless."

"Mon ami, you're powers will do nothin' against a Sentinel. I need Speedy in case anyone's hurt to get 'em out. You are the file protector; ya ain't useless! Now go!" He shoved the shorter boy's shoulder toward the door. "An' do not leave that jet!"

Todd nodded and quickly hopped off. Remy sighed and stared at Pietro. "There's gotta be a stairwell close by. I don't know how far down they are, but we gotta get there - quick."

"My specialty," Pietro smirked. "Or do you feel too queasy still?"

Remy rolled his eyes. "Shut up." The comm link on his belt flashed and he instantly remembered Tabitha and Freddy. He pushed down the black button. "Meltdown, you there?"

No answer.

Pietro pointed down the hall towards a large, metal fire exit, and the two boys began running toward it. Remy shook his head angrily, and pressed the button again. "Meltdown, talk to me, petite."

Once again, he was met with silence. He cursed and replaced the comm device to his utility belt, and stopped at the large door. It was locked. Pietro stood back as Remy charged up the potential energy of the door, converting it into highly explosive kinetic energy, and blew the piece of metal from its hinges. Pietro grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and smirked. "Shall we?"

"Non! Quicksilver…don't ya dare, ya shit…" Remy's voice was long gone in the wind, as the speed demon took off down the stairs and into the darkness.

* * *

Tabitha wiped the tears from her eyes and scowled; the flash from the stun grenade definitely did a number on her poor eyeballs, and it was just then that her hearing came back as well. Her and Fred were completely surrounded by men in military garb, all with sub-machine guns pointed in their faces. Mystique had briefed the team earlier on explosives 101, so Tabitha was naturally angry with herself that she had let the men get the upper hand on them. Fred was just beginning to stir when the man in charge - or so he looked - began to speak. 

"Don't you dare move, mutie, or you'll be eating lead!"

Tabby smirked. "Well as long as you got some salt with that…"

"Shut up!" A man next to her kicked her hard in the chin, causing her to bite down on her tongue. She let out a shriek of pain and cupped her face, catching handfuls of red blood in her hands. She narrowed her eyes at the man.

"Meltdown, are you okay?" Fred asked. "What did you jerks do that to her for?"

"If you don't shut your mouth, fatty, you'll be getting some of that too!" The man yelled. He lowered his gun and gestured to the two men beside him. "Grab these pieces of trash!"

"I don't think so!" Fred yelled and ripped his arm away from the soldier. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"I am only going to ask you this one more time before we take action!" The man warned, holding his gun up to Fred's massive chest. Tabitha was about to retort when two glowing orbs caught her eye.

Gambit.

The Cajun's red eyes glowed from the depths of the dark hallways behind the group of soldiers. She bit her sore lip lightly, and moved her eyes back to Fred. "We might just have to take that risk!" Tabby spat and nudged Fred.

Instantly Fred wrapped his huge hand around the barrel of an AK47 and wretched the piece of metal from a soldier's hands. The men quickly began to fire their shots at the Blob, leaving Tabitha to throw her arms over her head and duck for cover. She came equipped with the ammo, but she wasn't at all invulnerable like Fred was. She inched open her eye just in time to see a flurry of charged cards shower down over the group of men. In a panic, she scrambled to retreat, only to be whisked away off of her feet.

Pietro dropped her to the ground and grinned. "You didn't think that I would let you get blown to pieces, did you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks, I guess."

"Don't thank me!" He waved her off jokingly. "I was just showing off. And besides, you are of no use to me splattered on the floor."

A large explosion was heard from the lobby, and soon Fred and Remy were seen running toward the two mutants. Remy sighed and motioned for Tabby to run. "What the hell happened in there, petite?"

"They ambushed us!" Tabby spat. "We took out all of the external security, and then as soon as we heard Lance we headed inside…"

"And they threw a grenade at us," Fred finished for her. "I'm still seeing green things in front of my eyes."

"There's a Sentinel," Remy started. "An' we need to get the others out."

"Wait," Fred stopped running. "Where's Toad?"

Remy bit his lip and stared at the younger boy. "I sent him to the jet."

"What?" Tabby shrieked. "Why?"

Remy rolled his eyes and pushed past them. "He took the files. We need dem safe, an' there ain't no way in hell I was lettin' him fight a Sentinel."

"But what if there's more…" Fred started complaining.

"It was your job to take them all out!" Remy finally yelled at him. "If you did yer job like ya were supposed to, then everythin' is fine."

Tabby turned her gaze to Pietro, who only stood stone faced with his arms crossed. "You're okay with this?"

"He doesn't need a fucking baby-sitter," Pietro, surprisingly, defended Remy. "Stop acting as if he's too dumb to find his way outta here."

"Well, he is kinda…" Fred started only to be silenced by Remy.

"Enough! Scarlet, Pyro, and Avalanche are fightin' for their lives! We need to get to them!"

* * *

'_Destroy Target'_

Lance's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull when he saw the Sentinel stretch his hand out at Wanda. If his memory served him correctly, there were rocket launchers located there as well. John seemed to notice that as well because he took off in a run toward the witch. Lance lifted his leg and focused all of his energy in the concrete below his feet, and slammed his foot down to the ground with massive force. A large, flowing tremor started toward John and catapulted the Aussie toward their female teammate, and took her right out of the firing zone. The two mutants landed in a tangled mess on the floor, and the Sentinel's rocket was fired at the large concrete wall behind Wanda's former position. The resulting bang from the bomb shook the entire building's foundation so severely that Lance actually had to steady himself from falling.

A few pieces of debris began falling from the ceiling, and Lance was pretty sure if he used his power anymore the entire place would land right on their heads. A large crack had formed in the high ceiling, and he was amazed it was still in tact.

"Get off of me!" He heard Wanda scream, and Lance took off in a run toward his teammates. John had landed right on top of the girl, and face first into her chest - and she was not happy about it. The Aussie peeled himself from the floor with a grin on his face that matched the Cheshire cat. Lance rolled his eyes and grabbed his elbow.

"Will you smarten up?"

"You threw me!" John accused and looked at Wanda dumbly with his hands on his hips. "He threw me."

"I heard you the first time," She growled, and pulled herself from the ground. "It's coming back!" She pointed behind Lance's shoulder and readied herself to attack. However before they could do so, Lance grabbed both mutants by the arms and began to run.

"We need a plan," he stated.

"Wow! Great observation!" John mocked. "Who the bloody hell gave you your promotion?"

Lance glared at him. "Look, there are pieces of robot all over the place…this has got to be a factory, or something. We need to take this place down and destroy it all."

"This place is completely sealed," Wanda pointed out and stopped running to catch her breath. "I can try and hex it all, but that may take some time."

John nodded. "Well if Gumbo would get here already…"

Lance looked around, and his eyes settled on something in the corner. He glanced back at the Sentinel, and then back to the pile of barrels in the corner. "I wonder what's in those…" he mused.

"Somethin' flammable!" John yelled giddily.

"How can you be so sure?!" Wanda snapped.

"It's a barrel," John said as if it were the most obvious thing in the whole world. "Whenever there's a pile of barrels mysteriously out of place, ya know they're flammable…or at least toxic…"

"My thoughts exactly," Lance grinned. "Wanda, I want you to hex those barrels at the Sentinel. Try and break 'em open as best you can…" he was cut off as the Sentinel fired a blast, and the three mutants dodged the attack. "Pyro, I want whatever it is that ends up on it to burn. Its metal couldn't catch fire, but if we can dump that stuff on it, it'll catch!"

John dodged another attack and grinned. "That sounds fun."

Wanda ran around Lance and pointed her hands toward the ceiling high pile of metallic barrels. One by one, each of them flew at the Sentinel at a high speed, and completely burst on impact. Whatever the liquid was, it was black in color and stuck to the various parts of the Sentinel's body. He was pretty sure it was an oil or grease of some sort; it was probably something used to lubricate the Sentinels' joints.

After Wanda flung the first ten barrels, John powered up his flamethrower and fired a massive stream of flame twenty feet in the air. In less than a second the robot had turned into a walking fireball. Lance grinned as Wanda continued her barrel assault, causing the fire to spread. Lance nodded at John. "Now intensify the heat! I don't know how hot you can go, Pyro, but go as high as possible!"

John nodded his head at the order and used his hands to gesture to the flames. Lance grabbed Wanda's arm as John kept the burning robot busy, and led her toward the Sentinel parts. Lined up in rows were various heads, legs, cannon, rockets, hands, and glowing lights. Lance pointed in the direction of the rockets. "Hex the fucking hell out of those. I don't care if you need to throw heads at the damn thing, just do it." He turned to run away, but she yelled at his back.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"To find a way out!"

* * *

Once the four mutants reached the bottom of the stairwell, they were met with another four guards. Remy had been able to subdue them nearly single handedly, however their problem laid at the door of the warehouse. 

"How the hell do we get in?" Tabitha asked.

Remy pushed his comm link and frowned. "Avalanche, do you copy?"

"_Where are you?"_

"We be at the foot of the basement, mon ami. Are there anymore guards in yer sight?"

"_Just the Sentinel. We can't get out though…if I use my powers this place is gonna come down. It's already falling apart…"_

Remy suddenly jumped at the sound of a massive explosion that came from the other side of the door. It was so forceful that it literally knocked Pietro - who had been leaning against the door - to the floor. He pressed his comm link, panicked. "What the hell was that?"

He got no response.

"Shit!" Remy yelled. "Stand back, mes amies. I'm blowin' dis shit."

"But Lance said…" Freddy squeaked.

"Never mind that! It woulda fell down already if it was gonna!" Remy yelled at him.

The three Brotherhood members ran back up the last level of stairs and waited for Remy to begin the charge on the large steel door. He pressed both palms flat against the surface, and furrowed his eyebrows at how thick the door felt; it took him longer than it usually would to absorb all of the potential energy.

After a few more seconds, the door glowed a frightening shade of orange and began to pulse. Remy joined his teammates upstairs until the door gave way, and the team hurriedly made their way down the stairs and into the warehouse. Nearly everything was in flames, and the smoke was so thick that they were unable to see anything two feet in front of their faces. Pietro coughed loudly, and nudged Remy's elbow.

"I'm gonna look around!" Remy nodded at the boy, and Pietro was off in a whirl.

Remy ducked lower to the ground, to get away from the smoke and also took off in a run. There was twisted metal debris, broken wood, liquid, rocks, concrete - just total chaos around the entire room. He had no idea how big the room was, where the walls were, or what was going on in there prior to their raid. His red on black eyes blinked away the smoke as best as they could, but it didn't stop them from itching like holy hell.

"Avalanche!" Remy called, and coughed.

"Rem?!" A voice croaked from his left. Remy's ears perked at the sound, and he ran at the voice.

"Pyro? Was that you, homme?" Remy nearly tripped over a large metal object, but was able to steady himself. When he found John, he had Wanda over his shoulder with one arm, and his other hand was over his face wiping debris from his eyes and mouth.

"My hero! I always knew Prince Charmin' was as handsome as ya," he mocked.

"What the hell happened here?!" Remy yelled and motioned to Wanda. The girl began kicking her feet at that point.

"This fucking idiot won't put me down!"

John grinned with a soot covered face. "She can't walk."

"Because of you, you retard!"

"I saved yer life, ya should be more grateful," he cooed and pushed his way past Remy. "Now let's leave before we die."

Remy gave John a strange look and followed suit. "What happened to the Sentinel?"

"He went boom!" John cackled from ahead of him. Remy could see that most of Wanda's trench coat was now gone, and John had a massive hole in the back of his uniform. If it was the Sentinel that had exploded, the thing surely caused a lot of mess. John quickly turned around and grinned at Remy. "We beat 'im with his own head."

Wanda growled loudly from behind John. "Someone needs to take this fucking thing away from you. Whoever sold you a flamethrower must have been on LSD."

John shrugged her off, and readjusted her body - much to her displeasure. "Whoever said I bought it?"

Remy rolled his eyes as the team regrouped, and soon after Pietro emerged supporting Lance at his side. The long haired mutant was at least conscious, but he looked to be injured. "Let's get the hell outta here, mes amies. This place ain't gonna be standin' much longer, non?"

With Pietro supporting Lance, and John carrying a kicking Wanda, the team made their way up the stairs. Thankfully, their injuries were minimal and everyone was in one piece. Tabby's face was beginning to swell thanks to the kick she received earlier, however. Remy kept his eyes wide open for any more armed guards that could show up, but the mutants seemed to be in the clear.

As soon as they made it to the back door of the loading dock, Remy turned to Lance. "Ya got enough juice to tear the place down?"

Lance rolled his eyes. "What's more gonna do? I already feel like death…" he muttered more choice words under his breath, but managed to pull himself away from Pietro long enough to clench his fists and shatter the concrete of the walls. Remy watched in disturbed interest as Lance's eyes began to roll about, and his teeth clench so tight that the veins in his neck began to protrude through his skin. The rest of the team had backed off away from the building, and were waiting patiently for the earth shaker to complete his job.

Lance's muscles contracted tightly, and his limbs began to shake at the force of the energy leaving his body. Remy was pretty sure that if the building didn't come down soon, Lance would be out cold for a week. The Cajun bit his lip and pulled out two packs of cards. He charged up both packs and through them all through the doorway that they had exited from. The impact of the blast combined with Lance's efforts was enough to take out the entire support system of the back wall, and no sooner the second and then third floors caved in as well.

Lance released his hold and fell to his knees in a heap. His hair was completely soaked and stuck to his forehead, and his breathing was labored. Remy helped the younger mutant to his feet and threw his arm around his waist in an attempt to help him walk. He pointed to the east. "Start retreatin' that way!"

Pietro pulled Wanda down from John's shoulder and held her in front of him before he sped off toward the jet. Fred waited for Remy to return with Lance, so that he could take over in assisting him. The building was completely collapsed and not a single guard was in sight on the exterior of the building. However they now had a new problem.

Fire trucks and police sirens could be heard in the distance, as well as the blades of a helicopter. He wasn't sure, but the chopper could also be police, more military, or worse, the television news. The last thing the Brotherhood needed was their faces plastered on the TV for a breaking news segment. Mystique would be playing pin-the-bullet-on Gambit's-ass if that were to occur.

The mutants ran the third of a mile back to the jet, and were met by Pietro and Todd. Remy was pleased to see that the amphibious mutant had been obedient and followed his orders; their mission was a success and the files were safe.

"What the hell happened, yo?" Todd hopped around excitedly as he caught sight of Tabby, Lance, and John. "Ya look like ya got in a fight with a blender or some shit."

Remy rolled his eyes and waited for everyone to enter the aircraft before finally jumping in. He could catch sight of the cherries on top of the cop cruisers as they sped up the driveway of the warehouse at top speeds. "Everyone sit down!"

"Yes, mom," John snorted from the back.

"Give me the files, Toad," Lance asked from beside Remy. Remy regarded the long haired boy; he looked barely awake. His eyes were completely bloodshot, and his skin was soaked in sweat. Like John, his face and arms were covered in soot and ash. Todd handed Lance the folders that Remy had retrieved from Graydon's office, and he began to sort through them.

"There is a lot of shit in here," he pointed out.

"Oui," Remy agreed. "And we gotta get it back to the boss lady before she has a fit."

"No shit," Lance agreed as he sifted through the folders. Remy started up the engines of the jet as soon as the last cruiser went by, and began to ascend. The jet was black and had a stealth operative mode, much like the one the X-Men owned. The craft hovered up vertically, and once he got a safe distance above the trees, the craft began to inch forward.

"So Mystique is this guy's mom?!" Lance nearly shrieked in Remy's ear. That seemed to cause a bit of a ruckus throughout the plane, as everyone began to question what Lance had said. Remy sighed.

"Looks like it, but don't worry about that now," the mumbling quieted. "We got more important things to worry about."

"I bet," Lance snorted and laughed as he held up a flyer. "They have a drum circle scheduled for next week."

* * *

(1) - The first time he was rendered immoveable was during 'Day of Reckoning' and the Sentinel trapped him in the green-liquid-goo-of-doom. 

_**A/N**_: Oh dear, that took me about a week and a half to write! I'm really sorry if it sucks ass, but I tried my best! LOL. So I hope you enjoyed, and please review!


	10. Truth Hurts

**AN**: I hate my comics. GRRR! Marvel irritates me sometimes. Rogue, Pietro, Cable, and Rictor? ALL IN ONE WEEK? I think I may just die. Seriously. Also, since Mystique and Bobby sex was the most disturbing, despicable thing that I've seen all week, I bring you some Polarice for good measure. Any comic references are purely unintentional. Coughs. Now, read on while I scratch my eyeballs out.

* * *

**Chapter 10 - Truth Hurts**

* * *

"_The damage has been estimated at over five million dollars. It is unknown at this time what kind of operations were taking place, but our sources say that the private warehouse lost nearly all of its production materials and assembly lines. And while damage costs are now known, the body count continues to rise. As of this moment, more than fifty bodies have been found and declared dead. Ten more men were found on the exterior property with severe and critical injuries. One small group of men was able to potentially identify the attackers…"_

Rogue bit her lip, and prayed to herself that he wasn't involved. The Professor had obviously requested that they watch the broadcast for a reason, but the Southern girl just couldn't help but hope. She had defended the Brotherhood time and time again to her leaders, and now she was sticking her foot in her mouth.

It wasn't a very nice feeling.

"_Police sketches have been completed, but as of right now the true identities of the attackers remain unknown. Five mutants are being accused of the mess, however witnesses say that as many as eight could have been involved. Two female, and three male mutants have been sketched, and we believe that they range in age from 15-25 years old. Witnesses and police fear that a pro-mutant organization may be responsible._

"_Police say both females stand at approximately five feet six inches tall; one with shoulder length blonde hair, and a thin build. She was seen wearing a pair of black leather pants and a black halter style top with sunglasses. The second female was described as having short black hair, and was seen wearing a large red trench style jacket. The males were all larger in size. One mutant was described at being well over four hundred pounds, stood well over six feet, and had amazing strength. The last two boys both stood at approximately five feet ten inches to six feet. The first had long, dark colored hair, and was able to cause earthquakes. The last male had red hair and was firing a flamethrower at the victims..."_

Magneto clicked off the projector in the War Room and regarded his team. Rogue felt like she was going to be sick. Both Piotr and Bobby sat stone faced, while Kitty looked like she was going to burst into tears. Amara and X-23 looked indifferent. Magneto, however, looked extremely irritated. And not to her surprise, he was glaring right at her.

"I thought you said nothing looked amiss," he folded his arms and waited for her response.

"I didn't think it was!" She defended. "They weren't causing trouble at the mall, even X told you that!"

"I have a hard time believing that, Rogue," Magneto lowered his voice. "You've been extremely close with Gambit…even my daughter, and you mean to tell me that you didn't suspect a thing?"

"She does not lie," X-23 cut him off. "I did not smell the lies on your son; only his putrid cologne." Magneto regarded X with surprise. She didn't normally speak up during their briefings, and it shocked Rogue as well. The short girl folded her arms. "There was no way to prevent this."

Kitty let out a choked sob and stood from her seat. "I'll…be right back."

Rogue watched the girl's back until she was all of the way out of the room. The tension in the air was so thick that she was ready to choke on it. She looked up at her leader and sighed. "Maybe there's more to this than…"

"I will not hear of that!" Magneto slammed his fist down on the table so hard that even X-23 jumped at the sound. "There are over fifty casualties! Fifty! Those thugs never did such a thing under my tutelage! They were not trained to kill until Mystique had taken over, and now we have a serious problem!" He whirled around so that his back was facing them. "I will not accept anymore excuses."

"But…" Rogue started.

"But nothing!" Magneto roared. "This Brotherhood is a major threat to our goals, and we need to be on alert!"

"We're outnumbered," Amara spoke up suddenly. "I don't know if you realize, sir, but they have more mutants on their team than we do."

Magneto processed this, and Rogue almost burst out laughing at the fact that he seemed to be mentally counting on his fingers. Without Mystique, the Brotherhood had eight members. Even including Magneto, their team only had seven. She was so used to fighting as one big X-Men team against the five member original Brotherhood, that she too hadn't noticed. The odds were stacked against them.

"Then we must add to our own rank," Magneto stated. "I will scout the new recruits tomorrow."

"You're joking, right?" Rogue nearly scoffed. "They've only been here a few weeks! Why don't you just get Roberto or Jamie…?"

Magneto's eyebrows rose. "Sunspot is only good to me outdoors. Multiple may prove useful, but I do have someone else in mind. We need as much man power as we can get, and with Wolverine's team busy with their own task, you will learn to work with whomever I assign to this team."

"But what makes you think the Brotherhood even wants to fight us?" Bobby spoke up after surprisingly sitting silent for most of the briefing. "If it's mutant superiority they're after, why the hell would they want to fight with us?"

"Because we'd be getting in their way," Magneto stated simply. "You either have to be with them or against them."

"So if they leveled this warehouse thing, wouldn't it be because it had something to do with getting 'in their way'?" Bobby questioned again.

Magneto glared at him. "And what would be so threatening about a group of humans that they would have to kill over four dozen of them?"

"This sounds so weird coming from you," Rogue muttered under her breath. She could not believe the bullshit that the man was spouting off to them; what right did he - of all people - have to tell them that hurting humans was wrong? She was still very upset at the thought of her own boyfriend being involved in such a massacre, but something deep within her told her that something wasn't right about the whole situation - she knew Remy too well.

"The fact of the matter is, X-Men, that the Brotherhood has taken the first steps in their mission. They have spilled blood, and there is absolutely no proof that their actions were justified." Magneto pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "This is only going to start a massive political war. If you think that human mutant relations were bad now, they are only going to explode now."

"So what shall we do?" Piotr asked.

"I am going to New York to investigate the facility. Magma and Colossus shall accompany me. Rogue, I want you and Shadowcat to be cautious, but figure out what you can from the Brotherhood."

Bobby perked an eyebrow. "And anything for me?"

Magneto eyed him. "Go get Lorna. I wish to speak with her."

* * *

Mystique entered the living room of the boarding house to find her team scattered around the living room and completely asleep. Wanda and Quicksilver were sprawled on either side of the couch, while Avalanche had the easy chair. Pyro was sleeping on top of the coffee table, and while the others were all spread across the floor, save for Gambit who made use of the bean bag cushion. She glared. "Wake up!" 

"Aw, my head, yo," Toad complained as he rubbed his greasy hair. "What's wrong?"

"I did not ask you to meet me here so that you can lay around and sleep!" She bellowed. "I wish to go over this mission with you now, so sit up!"

The pile of teenagers scattered across the room began to groggily come to life. It was still early morning, and she didn't care one way or another if they hadn't slept all night. The debriefing was scheduled strictly following their return, and they were going to take her orders first!

Pyro groaned loudly as he peeled one of Gambit's playing cards from his face and sat up. "Aw my bloody neck!"

"First of all," Mystique ignored the Aussie. "Was anyone hurt?"

"My team only had a Sentinel explode on us, but we're just perfect," Avalanche spat. The long haired boy's clothing was singed, and he had more than one deep bruise, and a few superficial cuts. If anything he looked like he got hit by a Mack truck.

"Wanda?"

The Goth girl stared at her with a scowl on her face. "I'll live."

Mystique's eyebrows rose, and she rested her hands on her hips. "I will not continue until I know what went on. For all I know you could've been messing around to get yourselves hurt." She looked back at Avalanche. "I want an explanation as to why half of my team looks like they went through a paper shredder."

Lance growled and adjusted himself carefully in the chair. "Pyro and Scarlet Witch were ordered to take out a Sentinel, we were all locked in the room and it exploded."

"How many Sentinels were on site?" she inquired.

"Just the one," Avalanche continued. "I don't know what the hell they did, but the damn thing blew into a million pieces and torched the whole room."

Mystique looked at Pyro. "Well?"

The Aussie looked around the room and gave her a toothy grin before shrugging. "Well tha Sheila dumped the oil on tha robot and then I lit him on fire. Then she started throwin' body parts at him, and after he was so covered in flames and I kept makin' him hotter he just blew up."

"Yeah, and a rocket nearly blew up in my face," Wanda muttered. "I got hit in the leg with some shrapnel."

Mystique then turned to Meltdown. "And what happened to your face?"

The blonde girl squirmed under Mystique's gaze and sighed. "Freddy and I got ambushed by some military guys. They roughed me up a bit, but I'm fine."

"How were you ambushed?" the blue skinned mutant inquired.

"Stun grenade," Meltdown mumbled. "They threw it from behind us."

"I thought we went over explosives?" Mystique snapped. "That should've been prevented!"

"I know that!" Tabitha snapped right back, much to Mystique's displeasure. "We didn't even have time to act."

"Anyone else?" Mystique was getting annoyed by that point. There were more injuries than she had expected and wanted. All seemed unavoidable, but it still irritated her nonetheless. When the group of teens all shook their heads, she nodded. "Good. Now, the four of you are required additional training sequences."

"What?!" Avalanche and Pyro yelled simultaneously. Both boys stared at each other for a few moments before Lance began to speak again. "Why the hell do we need more training? We couldn't have helped that!"

"Injury is a sign of weak defense," Mystique began.

"Or good offense," Gambit uttered from the bean bag chair on the floor. A dangerous glare was spread across his face, but it didn't faze the shape shifter.

"There will be another session, and there won't be another word about it unless the rest of you care to join them," she spat. "Now, will someone please tell me what you found in the FOH facility? First, was there anything out of place?"

"Files," Toad spoke up. "Speedy found a bunch of cabinets full o' files on mutants, yo."

Mystique perked an eyebrow at the silver haired boy. "Is that so?"

"Yeah," he snapped. "Probably four or five filing cabinets filled with them. They were all in alphabetical order, or something, but there were tons of them. Even us…and you." He folded his arms and sat back on the couch with an arrogant look on his face.

"Were they destroyed?" she asked.

"Of course," Gambit scoffed. "Everythin' in that room was leveled."

"Good," she replied. "Now, I would like to see the information you acquired." Gambit abruptly stood from his seat and approached the injured Avalanche before he got the chance to stand. Lance handed the pile of folders over to the Cajun, who in turn handed them off to Mystique. There were six folders in total, all of which were full of various papers and blueprints.

"Was there anything else?" she asked with an edge to her voice. They were all sitting there and staring at her with stupid looks on their faces as if they had a secret or something. Sometimes, Mystique wanted to kick herself when she talked to the brats.

They all shook their heads quickly, which only irritated her more. Letting out a sigh, she wretched open the first folder and peered inside. She skimmed the first few lines, and bit her lip.

"What is it?" she heard Avalanche ask.

She snapped the folder shut and looked around at all the curious faces in the room. "We'll discuss this later."

"What the hell?" Quicksilver snapped and sped in front of her. "You blow a head gasket on us for falling asleep and you don't even wanna go over it with us? What the hell is the point of debriefing if we aren't debriefing anything? Why would you…"

"Pietro!" Wanda screamed and hexed him to the floor. "Shut up!"

Mystique didn't reply as she continued to read. "Meet back down here before dinner."

* * *

Bobby approached the purple door in the girl's wing cheerily. While all the Brotherhood hoopla was going on and making everyone bitchy, his mission was to go to Lorna's room. He wasn't going to complain; in fact he nearly had a bounce in his step. He had been training hard with Magneto and figuring out all of the power crap and Omega stuff, and blah blah blah; with her training with the new recruits he didn't nearly get as much time with the green haired beauty as he liked. 

He raised his hand in the air and knocked on the door lightly. Lorna had a shared room with another female recruit, Theresa Rourke. Bobby wasn't particularly fond of her due to her moodiness, but if he was lucky she wouldn't be around.

He quickly shook his head from his thoughts as the lavender colored door was pulled open and he was met with a lovely head of green hair, and an even lovelier set of green lips. Lorna smiled in greeting. "Hey, Bobby."

"Hey yourself," he gave his most charming grin and leaned against the door frame. "And what are you doing cooped up in your room on such a beautiful day?"

She blushed and opened the door wider. "I was just tidying up, actually. Do you want to come in?"

He nodded wordlessly and pushed himself off the wall and stepped inside. He was surprised at how clean it actually was; whatever her idea of dirty was it was obviously much different than his own. Her blue carpet was virtuously spotless, and there wasn't an ounce of clutter on any of the numerous wall shelves, or the dressers. Two large beds sat on either side of the room, and both were made up. Bobby made a mental note to never invite Lorna into his and Sam's pigsty.

"Was there something you wanted to talk about?" she inquired and sat on the edge of the bed with the purple comforter. "You've seemed a little preoccupied lately."

Bobby shrugged. "Nothing I can't handle. Don't you worry your pretty little head."

Her cheeks grew pink at that. "Are you sure? People around the mansion have been saying things about you."

"Oh yeah?" he questioned, trying hard to keep a straight face, but inwardly faltered. "And what exactly are they saying?"

She shrugged. "There's a lot of talk going around about your powers. I heard some people say that they were going out of control. But then Alex told me…"

Bobby's face fell at the surfer's name. "Alex doesn't know a damn thing."

Lorna closed her mouth in surprise and just blinked at him. "I'm…sorry?"

"No, don't be," his face softened and he moved to sit down next to her. "Me and him we just don't get along very well. Whatever he says probably isn't true anyways."

"Oh, are you sure? Because it wasn't necessarily anything mean…" she trailed off and seemed to be in thought. "In fact, it was more surprising than anything."

That peeked his interest slightly. "Is that so? What exactly _did_ he say?"

She gave him a mischievous smile. "Well you said you didn't want to know, so I don't think I'll tell you…"

"Oh no, you don't!" He grinned and nudged her. "I said that he doesn't know anything, I never said anything about not wanting to know."

She grinned at him and scooted back to the head of her bed and away from him. She was obviously holding back a giggle, and everything in him fought to just jump across the bed and wrestle it out of her. He turned to her slowly, his own grin spreading across his face, and he crawled toward her. "You can't run from me!"

That time she did let out a giggle and held her hand out toward him. Quickly a bright green glow covered the soft flesh there and shot out toward him. His eyes widened, and suddenly he was flung down across the covers on his backside, and unable to move. Struggle as he may, his limbs were basically bonded against the bed sheets. His line of sight darted upwards, where her face hovered above his. She had her eyes closed, and a small smile on her face.

"Rings, wallet chain, shoe soles, watch, and surprisingly enough…a nipple piercing," she opened her eyes and grinned at him.

"What?!" he laughed at her.

"Metal accessories," she continued. "Those are not a good idea to wear if you plan on horsing around with me."

"What are you psychic?" he laughed nervously as he slowly stopped fighting against her grip on him. Her face was still hovering above his, and being bound helplessly on her bed was nearly driving him mad.

"No," she smiled as she looked down at him. "I can just sense these things, that's all."

"Oh is that right?" he questioned. "Got any other hidden talents I should know about then?"

She smacked his chest playfully. "Just what are you implying?"

"I'd shrug, but I can't do that," he teased. "Whatever you want it to mean."

She eyed him carefully before finally letting him go. Bobby didn't move however, and just laid silently under her gaze and waited for her to speak. Her cheeks were flushed pink once again, but she was trying her best to hide behind her long curtains of hair.

"You are such a flirt," she mumbled.

That made him grin.

"So I've been told," he conceded.

"I thought you wanted to know what Alex said about you?" she asked quickly; she was obviously trying to change the subject.

He perked an eyebrow and decided to let it slide. "Well why don't you fill me in then?" he flipped over onto his stomach and perched his chin in his hand. She was surprised by the quick movement, and blushed once again at his close proximity.

"He said…" she trailed off.

He smiled. "Go on…"

She giggled again at his flirting. "He said that my father has been playing around with your powers."

His playful mood slowly began to slip away. "Not really, he's just been running a few tests…that's all."

Her face softened. "But is it? It doesn't seem all that simple."

He grinned and tried to brush it off. "Let's not worry about it right now, alright? I'm much more interested in you."

That seemed to do the trick, and that famous blush of hers returned. "If you say so…"

"I know so," he whispered. His eyes traveled down to her lips as she chewed lightly on the bottom one. He wondered briefly if she would allow him to make up for the interruption in the pool that had occurred two days previous. She certainly hadn't brought it up again to him, but at the same time if she were mad at him he was certain he would know it already. In fact, she had been only receptive to his flirting - she even did some of her own.

His gaze traveled back up her soft face and to her eyes once more. They were practically swirling with emotion at that moment, and their dark green gaze stared right back at him. He swallowed hard and moved forward only an inch or two before she decided to meet him half way. He sat up as their lips connected and placed both his hands on either side of her face. The kiss was very chaste at first; she only pressed her lips against his firmly, but only a few seconds later he was surprised when she darted her tongue into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck.

And just his luck, before he could even respond her bedroom door crashed open.

"Oh shit! I'm sorry!"

Lorna practically flew out of his arms and off her bed. The sudden movement caused Bobby to lose his balance, and he too toppled right off of her bed and onto the floor below.

"Ow," he moaned.

"Theresa!" Lorna exclaimed; she completely ignored his tangled mess on the floor.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to barge in!" Theresa shrieked. "I'll go…"

"No… you don't…" Lorna trailed off and fumbled her words. The two room mates sputtered and stuttered to the point that Bobby got annoyed.

"Don't mind me, I'll just go!" He pulled himself from the floor hurriedly and stumbled past the two crimson faced girls.

* * *

"What the fuck?" Lance asked no one in particular as the Brotherhood stared at the empty space that Mystique had been standing in before. "Why did she just take off?" 

Pietro stared at him and briefly wondered the same thing, but didn't voice his concerns. Half of the team was still half asleep as it was, so the silver haired teen noted that the stupidity level amongst them was much higher than it normally would've been anyways - so wondering aloud would virtually be pointless.

"Did you go through all those folders, mon ami?" Remy looked to Lance with the same confused look.

"No," the long haired boy replied. "Just the goofy one with all the funky rally posters."

Todd hopped toward the older boys and put his hands on his hips. "I guess there was some important shit in there, yo."

The room settled into silence at that as the teens contemplated that. Pietro had no idea what it was that Remy had found on the computer. The only thing he had been doing at the time was looking through folders and folders of known mutants and background information on each of them. He had no idea where the hell the FOH had gotten the details from - there was stuff in his and Wanda's folders that even he was surprised at seeing, such as details about their birth mother and their relationship with Magneto.

He didn't bring the subject of his mother up to virtually anyone, so the fact that this organization held such personal information totally blew his mind. However, he did use the fact to his advantage as he snuck a peak into a few particular files.

"Pietro?!"

He shook his head from his thoughts and stared at Lance, who was questioning him. "What?"

"I asked you if you saw anything out of whack while you were searching those cabinets." The rock tumbler rolled his eyes at him.

Pietro rolled his eyes right back. "Nothing except for the fact that Mystique has a lesbian lover out in Mississippi."

"Damn," Remy chuckled. "Who hasn't she been with?"

"I don't know, and I don't care. I'm going to bed," Fred yawned and stood from his spot on the floor. "I'm pooped."

"You and me both," Tabby grinned at the bigger boy. She too stood from her spot and headed toward the stairs. "I would say good night but it's already ten a.m."

"Oh man, don't remind me," Todd muttered as he too, and then Remy, stood and walked to the stairs. "I'm gonna sleep for the next four days."

Pietro rolled his eyes at his teammates. The nap that he had snuck in was more than enough to keep him going for at least another six hours. A few seconds later, only Lance, Wanda, and John remained in the living room with him. Lance's blood shot eyes stared vacantly across the floor, and Wanda looked as though she was nearly asleep again. John however sat staring blankly at the witch, which didn't go unnoticed by Pietro.

"What the hell are you staring at, Allerdyce?" Pietro crossed his arms over his chest and tried his best to look mean for the boy sitting on the coffee table.

John didn't seem fazed however and just slowly turned his gaze to him. "Oh, nothing."

By that point both Wanda and Lance were more alert and staring at the two boys. Pietro was rather annoyed by the pyromaniac feigning innocence, but he tried not to let that show. "Well maybe you can look somewhere else," the speedster snapped.

"What's your problem?" Wanda snapped at her brother.

Pietro looked from Wanda to John and back to Wanda before frowning. "He was staring at you like a pervert or something gross and he's crazy so it was just bothering me so calm down!"

Her eyes widened at his terribly bad run-on sentence. However it was John that spoke first, and he was relatively calm - well, calm for him anyways. "I just wanted to make sure her foot was okay."

Pietro looked back at Wanda; only because he was her twin he could see the gears turning in her head. She bit her lip. "I'll live."

John gave her a sultry smile that made Pietro want to jump up and kick his ass. However, Lance spoke first. "It's your fault anyway, John."

"But I at least had the gull to carry ya to safety, right Sheila?" John winked at her as he pulled a Zippo lighter from his pocket and began to play with the lid.

And then Wanda blushed.

Pietro nearly fell out of his seat at the sight, and for once in his life he was speechless. His sister tried her best to compose herself and stood from the couch. "You didn't have to do that, you moron! I can walk fine!" As if trying to prove her point, she basically hopped on one leg to the other side of the living room and toward the stairs.

"But you weren't complainin'!" John cheered in a sing song voice. "You just liked the view of me ass, didn't ya?"

Pietro shuddered and stood from his seat. "This is gross. I'm going to my room!" He didn't want to stick around and see anymore flirting pyromaniacs, and flustered Wanda's. The whole scene was way too much for him to bear without gagging. In a flash, the living room and staircase went by in a grey and brown blur, and Quicksilver found himself within the confines of his room for the first time since the previous evening. He locked the door, and in one swift motion unzipped his uniform.

And then he remembered the package he had inside of it.

The brown colored folder fell to the floor in a messy pile, leaving papers strewn about. He frowned and bent over to pick them up. Of all of the known mutant files he had gone through in the FOH facility, there was one that really caught his eye. Of course, it was also one of the biggest files in the warehouse too, which was a bonus for him. He plopped down on the edge of the bed and pulled off his uniform completely, and lay in nothing but his plaid boxer shorts. He balanced the folder sloppily on his lap as he stared at the picture inside of it.

It was Weapon X-23.

"Laura Kinney," he mumbled with a bit of a laugh. "I guess you're a little more human than you thought…" he trailed off and pushed the picture out of the way to look at her statistics. In fact, there was a lot more information in there than he could've ever gotten from her mouth. Pietro knew very well just how stubborn and nasty the pretty girl was, but that didn't stop him from craving to know more about her.

And what he found was a surprise to say the least.

* * *

Rogue hesitated as she approached her bedroom door. Kitty hadn't come back after she had left the War Room earlier during the team meeting, and nor did the younger girl show up in the dining room for lunch. She was worried what was going through her friend's mind since they had sat down and watched the newscast. In fact, if anyone could relate to how she was probably feeling, it would be Rogue. 

She held out a gloved hand and gently pushed the door open to their shared bedroom. Inside, Kitty laid on her bed and faced the wall so Rogue had no view of her face. She was unable to tell if she was just resting, or sleeping, or what. The Goth girl cleared her throat. "Kit-Kat? Ya awake?"

A few seconds later the petite brunette rolled over and stared at her. "Yes."

"Ya missed lunch," Rogue began, rather lamely in her opinion. "We even had tacos."

Kitty made a face. "I don't eat meat."

"Right…" Rogue twisted her face at her own stupidity. "Sorry Kit, a lot of things are on mah mind today. Ah really just came up here to see if ya…"

"Don't," Kitty groaned miserably. "There isn't anything you can do to make me feel any better, Rogue."

"Listen, Kit, Ah know things look bad from our stand point, but…"

"But what?" she interrupted harshly. "What possible explanation could they have for this to make this any better? This happens every time I give Lance another chance, and frankly I'm sick of it!" She sat up on her bed, and Rogue was nearly ready to step back at the angry glare in her friend's eyes. It was very unlike Kitty to look so livid.

"Kitty! Give him a chance! Foah all we know it could've been some foul mouthed Mexican who causes earthquakes, and not Lance!" Rogue ranted. (1)

Kitty didn't share Rogue's humor. "That's not funny! That news lady described the brotherhood right down to Tabby, Lance, Fred, Wanda, and John! It was them…they killed all those people…" a few more tears fell down Kitty's cheeks as she tried to keep herself in check.

"Kitty, ya need to learn ta give him the benefit of a doubt! Foah all we know there could've been a good reason," Rogue held up a hand to keep the girl from interrupting. "Ya know Lance as a person, and ya know damn well that deep down inside he's a good one. He wouldn't just run out and do somethin' dumb because he's a murderer. Ya gotta have mo' faith in him."

"But Rogue you know just as well as I do that this isn't the first time the Brotherhood has gone out and done something totally whacky and out of line!" She protested. "And this time they've crossed _way_ over the line."

"Ah'll agree that they've done stupid shit befoah, Kit. Ah know that just as well as anyone! Ah used to be one of 'em!" The Goth girl sighed and sat down next to her friend. "But after all this tahme since Apocalypse…Ah don't think Ah can write them off so fast without hearin' somethin' - anythin' - from them first."

Kitty wiped angrily at a tear. "Doesn't it bother you at all that Remy was involved in this? Brotherhood aside, just think of your personal relationship with him. Don't you feel at all off about it?"

"More than ya would evah know," Rogue admitted. "But at the same tahme, Remy and Ah've been through a lot. Ah do trust him…and Ah would wanna talk to him befoah Ah go jumpin' to conclusions."

Kitty nodded, but still had a blank stare. "I don't know if I feel the same way as you do, Rogue. He lied to me. I asked him what he was doing in New York, and he told me they were just leaving town for shopping and a good time. Somehow I have a hard time understanding how murder is a good time."

Rogue winced. "Ah'm sorry, Kit…Ah didn't know…"

"It doesn't matter," Kitty whispered sadly. "I'll listen to whatever excuses he has this time, but I don't know if I'll be able to trust him again."

* * *

(1) - That one was for you, Loneraven ;). Rictor - a foul mouthed, earthquake causing Mexican - has appeared in many X-titles. It's a well known fact that _most_ of Lance's character was based off of Julio and not Dominic Petros. In fact, outside of Dominic's uniform and Brotherhood status, Lance's character didn't get a damn thing from the actual Avalanche. Fun facts. So perhaps Rogue wasn't all that far off…

**A/N**: Yeah, this chapter was totally messed, I agree. But the shit has pretty much hit the fan, so that is to be expected. Anywhoo, next chapter we have some Lancitty problems, Tabbietro troubles and make ups, Jonda, and a drunken brotherhood. Joy. Also, this story has some more illustrations up on my deviantart if you want to check that out. twbasketcase dot deviantart dot com. Hope you enjoyed this, and please review :)


	11. Consequences

**A/N**: Oh boy I had a lot I wanted to squish in here. This story is growing larger by the chapter, LOL. Be prepared for some angst and bad humor…and a _nice_ chunk o' Jonda in here. Oh yeah, this is early just because I needed some happy something to make me not hate Marvel comics so much. D:

* * *

**Chapter 11 - Consequences**

* * *

Lance closed his bedroom door behind him and blew his hair from his eyes. After finally getting himself a couple of hours of sleep and a hot shower, it was already well into the evening. Not one to sit around and listen to the soap operas that were his teammates' lives, he preferred to scoop up the phone and talk to his girlfriend. With said device clutched in the mutant's hand, he seated himself on the edge of the bed and stared down at the numbers. 

He felt happy at the thought of talking to her. He wasn't entirely sure why, but after all of the crap he had gone through the previous night - the head aches, the bruises, the tears, the blood - he didn't want to give his mind the chance to process everything that had happened. Instead, he wanted to talk to the one person in the whole world who he believed would take such thoughts and feelings away.

His thumb swiftly moved over the keypad of the phone and punched in the familiar seven digit number. It had only rung twice before the line was picked up.

"Who is it?"

Lance snorted. "Rogue?"

"Oh shit…hold on," she muttered and then he heard some shuffling on the other end of the line. When she picked up again, her voice was lowered to a whispered hush. "Ya gotta lot of nerve callin' here!"

He was confused. "What? Why?"

"It ain't mah job to berate ya," she sighed. "But just let meh warn ya that things might not be pretty once Kitty gets on the phone."

"What the hell are you talking about?" he snapped; her jumping around his questions was beginning to annoy the hell out of him. Lance just didn't have patience for stubbornness.

"Hold on, will ya?" she spat at him. "Kitty! The phone is for ya."

Lance tried to listen, but he couldn't make out the words the girls were exchanging on the other end of the line. Whatever they were saying though, it didn't sound as if they were very happy. However, for the life of him, Lance couldn't figure what it was that would have Kitty upset. Last time they had been together, they had left on good terms - so good that her hair was messed and her lips were swollen.

"Hello?" her voice was soft and distant.

"Kit? What's the matter?" Lance asked feeling concerned. "Did something happen to you?"

She let out a bitter laugh. "Something happened alright, but I should be the one asking you 'what happened'."

A sinking feeling began in his chest. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, let's see," she spat angrily. "Five feet ten inches tall, long brown hair, and the ability to cause earthquakes; last seen destroying a massive, privately owned warehouse and participating in a pro-mutant sentiment that killed over four dozen people! Does that ring a bell, Lance?"

Lance's mouth dropped open in horror, and instantly the sinking feeling he felt turned to dread, and then to nausea. "Oh god, Kitty…"

"No, don't start that with me, mister," her voice cracked, and he just knew that she was starting to cry. He wanted to die every time that he made her cry. She sniffed. "How could you be so cruel and callous? I thought you changed!"

"Kitty, you don't understand," he whispered. "Please don't…"

"Please don't what?" she asked. "Please don't get mad at you for being a murderer?!"

"Kitty I'm not, I swear I…" he tried again, but was once more cut off.

"You are, Lance!" she shrieked through the receiver. "Fifty seven people died! Fifty seven innocent people lost their lives because you and your filthy hood friends decided to play God. How could you?"

He squeezed his eyes closed and gripped the phone harder. "I had no idea anyone was dead!"

"You did too! They had no problem giving your description to the police," she was sobbing now. The sound of the desperation and sadness in her voice nearly made him start trembling; he loathed himself for it. "It was you, Lance. They pointed you out. You can't sit there and lie to me and say that you had no part in their deaths!"

Lance finally opened his eyes and stared at the broken ceiling over his bed as her words processed through his mind. He was a killer. Those men had died, and he and the Brotherhood were responsible for it. The building was destroyed and each and every one of the soldiers in there had seemingly perished inside of it, save for a lucky few. They died. _The mutant hating scum bags had gotten what was coming to them_.

"Kitty, I don't think you understand," Lance finally found his voice.

"No, I don't think you understand, _Avalanche_!" she huffed. "Us being on opposite sides is hard enough to deal with. It was that way a few years ago, and we broke up because of it! I thought you changed after Apocalypse…I thought…"

Lance frowned. "That I was good enough for you finally?"

"I…" she trailed off quietly. "I never said that you weren't good enough for me."

His frown deepened, and this time he began to feel angry and self conscious. "You didn't have to! I know that you're constantly just waiting for me to screw up! And when I do, you don't even give me a damn chance, Kit." He took a deep breath and clenched a fist at his side. "How the hell do you even say that you love me?"

She let out another sob. "Because I do, okay? I don't even know why, but I do!"

'_I don't even know why_…' he let her words sink into his head, and once more he squeezed his eyes closed. "I don't know why you do either."

"Lance," she pleaded with him. "How do you expect me to feel? What you did was…I don't even know what to say! I know you, Lance…this isn't who you are."

Wasn't it? "Kitty, I don't even think you'd believe me if I even fucking tried," he whispered.

"Lance, I'm gonna go…I don't…" she trailed off and sighed. "I don't think I can talk to you right now."

Without another word, the rock tumbler hung up the phone and stared at the vile object in his hand. He couldn't even process a thought through is mind as he sat there feeling so empty and alone. His grip tightened around the black receiver, and in a fit of rage he flung himself from his bed and threw the phone into the door of his room. A loud cracking sound echoed through the empty space, and the pieces rained down onto the dirty floor of his sanctuary.

"Fuck!" he screamed, and swung his fist at his dresser. He was so upset he could no longer feel the injuries on his body, nor did he pay any attention to the yells and cries of his housemates for letting tremors go through the building.

He didn't care.

* * *

Tabitha kicked open the door in front of her and walked into the room with a wide smirk on her face. "Well now, I was not expecting a free show." A chiseled eyebrow perked as she let her eyes roam Pietro's body; he laid sprawled out on his bed with nothing on but a pair of boxers, and a pool of papers messed around him. 

"Don't you knock?!" he yelped as he sprung up from his spot. "What do you want?"

She folded her arms and scoffed. "Like you don't know." She walked toward his bed and took in the mess. "Are you actually reading? I didn't know you had a brain under all that hair gel," she joked.

His eyes widened in panic as she grabbed at a few loose papers, and instantly he used his powers to attempt to clean the mess. It was predictable however, and she clutched the paper in her hand and turned away. "Where did you get this?"

He glared at her. "Give it back."

On the paper was information regarding Wolverine's clone, X-23. Tabby narrowed her eyes at the girl's vital statistics, and then gazed at the identification photo. What on Earth was he doing with a file on her? As far as Tabitha was concerned, all of the mutant files were supposed to be destroyed - Pietro had even claimed they were.

"What is this, Pietro?" she snapped again.

Finally he ripped it from her hand and tossed it on the floor next to them. "What the hell do you care?"

"I don't really," she rolled her eyes and grinned at him. "Question is why are you getting so worked up about it? You got something to hide, speedy?"

She scanned his face as a mixture of things flashed across his features. He was definitely up to something, and she wanted to know what it was! Pietro was always pretty arrogant, but in the time that Tabby had known him the two of them had grown close. It was usually pretty obvious to her when Pietro was up to something.

"I have nothing to hide," he smirked, as he sped to his dresser and dumped the contents of the file inside a drawer. "What if I said I was just scouting the enemy?"

"What if I said you were full of shit?" Tabby countered and folded her arms. "If that was the case, all you had to do was ask. I used to be one of _them_, remember?"

"What if I thought _your_ information was useless?" he spat in a snotty tone, which didn't go at all unnoticed by her.

"Why would it be?" she put her hands on her hips and glared. "You think I'm so useless all of a sudden? Quit being such an immature jerk, Pietro!"

His lips twisted into a scowl. "Because you don't know what you're talking about, Tab! You're already twisting my words around."

"I am not!" she defended. "You insulted me!"

"No I didn't!" he barked back.

"You did too!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

He glared at her, and folded his arms. "Maybe you shouldn't barge into people's rooms when you're uninvited. Did you ever think about that?"

"I didn't know that I was suddenly uninvited in here," she scoffed. "Maybe you shouldn't give people the wrong idea that they are."

The two teens stared each other up for a few moments, neither being willing to back down first. Tabitha had no idea what was going on his head, or why he was suddenly acting so frosty toward her. She figured it had something to do with his little file folder he collected, and she hated that he wasn't being up front with her.

"Get out," he simply said. His face was stone cold.

And without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed out.

* * *

Lorna bit her lip as she walked the halls of the institute. After her awkward incident in the morning with Bobby, she had kept herself holed up in her room for most of the day. Lorna was not one of those girls that got over embarrassment easily. Instead, she was more of the crawl-into-a-hole-and-die type of person. Of course at the same time her mind was screaming at her that there wasn't anything at all to be embarrassed about; she liked Bobby a lot, and he was a nice boy. 

_But he wasn't even her boyfriend._

She frowned at that last thought, and then nearly jumped a foot in the air when she bumped into someone while turning the corner.

"Oh god! I'm so sorry; I didn't see you," she tucked a strand of green hair behind her ear and smiled at the boy in front of her.

"Like, hey Lorna dude!" Alex gave her a bright smile and put his hands on his hips. "I've been looking for you all day! Where have you been?"

She blushed at the day's activities and shrugged at him. "Oh, I've just been cleaning my room. My room mate is a little on the messy side."

"Who Siryn?" Alex laughed. "She's definitely a weird chick, dude."

Lorna frowned. "I said she was messy, I didn't say she wasn't my friend."

"Oh, sorry," the blonde boy scratched his head. "Say, how about we hang out today?"

"What did you want to do?" She questioned. "I have homework to do, so we can't do anything too late."

He smiled at her and gently grabbed her by the elbow to lead her back toward the stairs. "I was thinking that maybe we could go to the mall?"

She gave him a small smile. "I suppose we could do that. Maybe we should…"

"Young man, please get your little paws off of her," a booming voice made Lorna jump. When she spun around to see who it was, her father stood about ten feet behind her with his arms crossed over his chest and an angry look was plastered on his face. Alex jumped away from her so fast it looked like he had been burned.

"Uh, sorry, sir," Alex nervously raked his fingers through his hair. "Me and Lorna were just going to go…"

"You and Lorna will not be going anywhere," her father practically growled at him. "Now please be gone so I may have a word with her."

"Totally," Alex squeaked and practically ran to the stairs. Lorna had to bite a laugh back at that.

"What is it, father?"

The white haired man placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I summoned you earlier and you did not meet with me. Did something happen?"

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Oh, um, I never got your message."

He uncharacteristically rolled his eyes. "Never leave Iceman to do anything important," he muttered. "I will have to speak to him about that."

Lorna bit her lip and willed herself not to blush again. "Don't worry about that. I'm sure he had a good reason."

"I'm sure," he grumbled. "Now, I have something I need you to do for me."

"What is that?" she questioned him. She turned and followed him as they began walking toward the common room.

"I need extra mutants on my team," he stated with a wave of authority. "I'm not entirely impressed with any of the new recruits at this moment in time. I want you to come up to my roster."

Her eyes widened at that. "But father Sunspot, Multiple, Dazzler, and Chamber are all better with their powers than I am. Why don't you ask one of them first?" (1)

"Different reasons for each of them prevent me from doing so. I have faith in your abilities, Lorna. You are being self conscious, and there is no reason for you to feel that way. Now I demand that you stop that, and accept your membership, please." He turned to face her, and placed both of his hands on her shoulders. "We have been training for a few years now, and I know that you are capable."

"I know that, father," she sighed. "I've just never been on a real mission before; I don't even have a codename yet!"

Her father gave her an incredulous look. "That is hardly an excuse! You've been training in simulations throughout your time here and with me back at home. You are ready. Other mutants on the roster will be there to support you, as will I." He sighed and stared at her. "Your codename can come later."

She nodded gently. "Maybe can you help me pick one?"

He blinked. "I can see what I can come up with; although I don't expect you to want a name that isn't chosen by yourself." (2)

"I just want a cool one; all the other kids have one," she quipped sarcastically.

"Lorna, don't be foolish," her father scolded. "You are now a member of the main roster. Be aware that you now have a more rigorous training schedule, so be on time to the danger room session tomorrow morning."

"Yes father," she replied with an eye roll. She watched as he turned on his heel to leave.

"And one more thing, if I may," he stopped walking and looked at her. "Stay away from that damn Summers boy. He irritates me."

Lorna nearly burst out laughing. "Yes, sir."

* * *

Pietro nearly tripped on his own feet as he sped up the stairs of the Brotherhood boarding house and stopped at Lance's door. His father, Mystique, and a few others for that matter, had warned him before about drinking and using his powers, but that was hardly enough to deter the great Quicksilver. 

He damn well knew he had smooth moves.

Gambit had come home with a few bottles of liquor that evening in an attempt to congratulate the team on completing the first mission. With Pietro's metabolism it didn't take him much to get tipsy, which was exactly why he was already stumbling over his feet after only three shots. However, Lance was the only member of the team who hadn't made an appearance since dinner, and Pietro in his curious state wanted to find him.

So he banged on the door as loud as he could.

"LANCE!"

"WHAT?!"

Pietro snickered at the angry tone and turned the doorknob. "What're you doing?"

"Fuck off, Pietro. I'm not in the mood." When Pietro got the door open all the way, he noticed Lance sitting on his bed and facing the wall. His shoulders were slumped and his hair spilled over his face. There were also the remnants of a few smashed items all over his floor. Something bad had happened by the look of it, and Pietro wasn't quite sure what.

"What's with the temper tantrum?" the speedster asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"I said fuck off! Do you need me to spell that out for you?" Lance still hadn't turned to face him.

"I'm sure I can figure it out," he joked. "Why don't you come downstairs?"

Lance turned and glared at him. His eyes were dark with anger, and his lips were twisted into a dangerous scowl. "Why the hell would I want to waste my time with you bozos?"

Pietro glared back at him and folded his arms. "You know, if you're going to be an asshole then I shouldn't invite you to do anything."

"Look," Lance raked a hand through his hair and sighed. "I'm just dealing with some shit right now and I'd like to be left alone. So if you don't mind, just…get the fuck out, or something."

"Well what happened?" Pietro, being his nosey self, sat on the edge of Lance's bed and stared at him. "You were fine this morning and not being any more of an ass than usual. Did your mommy call and yell at you or something?"

Lance fully turned and shoved Pietro off his bed and onto the floor. "You know better than to say shit about my fucking parents, Pie!"

Pietro grumbled and brushed off his pants. "Sorry! Touchy touchy," he mumbled. "Well then what the hell is it?"

"Nothing," Lance grumbled and turned back toward the wall. "Just forget it."

"Fine, whatever," Pietro was getting way too impatient to play the whiney emo game. "Look, I just came up here to tell you that we have a bunch of booze downstairs and you're more than welcome to come drown your PMS in it."

Lance perked an eyebrow, and a hint of a smile appeared on his face. "Hard liquor?"

Pietro nodded happily and stumbled a bit. "Yes!"

"You got any green, too?"

Pietro nodded again. "I am a man of service."

Lance jumped from his spot on the bed and practically ran out the door and down the stairs. Pietro looked around Lance's room and shrugged before once more speeding down the stairs and into the kitchen, passing Lance on his way by. When he got there, he noticed his sister trying to pour two drinks at the same time. He perked an eyebrow and grinned at her.

"What are you trying to do?"

She glared at him. "I'm pouring drinks."

"You're trashed," he pointed out. "And you just started too, you lush."

"Like you're one to talk!" she spat. Her tongue poked out of the side of her mouth as she concentrated at the task at hand. Pietro just watched her with curiosity.

"Why're you pouring two? You should probably only drink one at a time," he pointed out.

"I told John I would get him one while I was up," she muttered.

Pietro nearly burst out laughing. "You are so obvious, you know that?"

She turned to take a swing at him, but he easily dodged it. "I'm not anything!" she yelled at him. "Leave me alone."

He grinned. "No, you like him. Lord knows why you would like that psychotic freak. He's not even that pretty. And he's annoying and has a weird laugh, and says words that don't even make any sense."

"He does not!" Wanda protested, spilling half her drink on the floor before glaring again. "He's more tolerable than you are…like that's even hard, but still."

Pietro grinned and snatched the bottle from her quickly so that he could pour his own drink. "You actually blushed at him. I saw it, and you hex everyone that says something mean to him. Shit, Wanda, if anyone doesn't know it's probably only him because he's so dumb. You're so obvious."

"Shut up."

"Obvious and oblivious…that sounds good together!" He laughed as she once again tried to hit him.

"When will you leave me alone?" she snapped at him. "Why do you care anyways? You've slept with half the phone book, but I don't say shit to you."

Pietro rolled his eyes. "You call me a slut all the time. And besides, you don't like anyone, so it's just funny when you act all wussy and girly!"

"I do not!" her hand glowed an eerie shade of blue and she gestured it in his direction. However, in her drunken state the hex bolt was well off target and hit the toaster - which caused it to start jumping around on the counter. "Oops."

Pietro sped away from the possessed appliance and stared at her. "Just admit it."

"No."

"I'll keep bugging you until you do."

"I'll kill you in your sleep."

He rolled his eyes. "How _loving_ of you."

"I don't _love_ anyone!" she seethed.

"Except Pyro," Pietro teased.

She grabbed her drinks and turned to leave the kitchen. "You need to lay off the drugs."

He sped in front of her and blocked her way out. "And you need to lay off the hostility and just admit for once that you're a normal human being."

She glared at him. "What do you want me to say, huh?"

"Just admit that you like him!" he urged her.

"…" her face never faltered, but the look in her eyes gave her away.

"I'll take that as a yes," Pietro grinned triumphantly and stepped out of her way.

"You tell anyone anything and I'll rip your eyes out and shove them up your ass." She then stormed away from him, leaving him alone to ponder her words.

"That…would probably hurt a lot," the speedster muttered, and left to join her in the living room.

* * *

Mystique pinched the bridge of her nose tightly. The banging and loud music from upstairs was putting a rather large damper on her concentration, and she was about ten seconds from going upstairs and shoving her gun up the ass of the closest idiot she could grab. 

Since the early hours of the morning, she had cooped herself up in her personal basement headquarters going over all of the startling information that had been discovered in the information packages brought home from the mission. She had completely expected hidden agendas and plans to overthrow mutant rights. In fact, such things as a proposed registration act did not surprise her.

But their plans did not end there.

The plans of the FOH were much more cruel and dangerous than she could begin to imagine. They had a list of every known mutant on the planet. In fact, Mystique wondered to herself if even Xavier knew of the whereabouts of a number of them. She herself had no idea that so many of them existed; the fact that an anti-mutant organization knowing these numbers just scared her. And not only did these people know names, locations, and details about their abilities, they also had each mutant separated by classifications - everything from Omega level to the lowly Epsilon-Delta.

On the surface, the FOH made it a point to publicly support particular Bills, registrations, affidavits…but hidden underneath it all was a sinister plan to destroy their race. She found blueprints and sketches of Sentinel building plans and models, as well as more high tech and extreme versions of the robots. Plans for experiments and imprisonments were set, as well as what looked to be an actual virus.

A virus that was actually developed to attack the mutant X-gene.

The details were blurry to her at best; Raven was in no way a doctor or a scientist of any kind, so the medical terms and scientific formulas were nearly foreign to her. The only thing that she gathered was that this virus was planned to be released, and that it would lessen the number of mutant gene holders drastically.

And unfortunately for her, she needed another opinion. She could go to her old friend and lover Irene for a brief synopsis on the disease's affects in the future, but she would have to speak with a doctor or scientist of some sort on details - because without details, she would not know a sure fire way to stop it.

She set the folder down and stared absently at the scans of DNA follicles and blood samples.

She would have to bring her team to the X-Mansion and speak with _him_. As badly as she wanted to go on without his help, he was the only person that she knew who would be able to explain this to her and study it further - and hopefully he would come to his senses and stand where she knew he belonged.

If not, the war was about to get much more difficult.

* * *

John took a long drag from his cigarette as he watched Toad dance about in the middle of the room like an idiot. The pyromaniac exhaled a large puff of smoke and cracked a grin. "Say, mate, why don't ya show me that again?"

"This is not funny," Wanda complained from the other end of the couch. "Stop it, you rancid reptile!"

"This's jus' my way of showin' ya my undying devotion for you, poopsie!" Todd hiccupped and spun on his heel, swaying his hips to music only he could hear. John nearly died from laughing at the sight.

"Toad if you don't stop singing, I'm going to hurt you!" the witch snapped. However, that just made John laugh even harder. All night Toad had been singing any sappy radio ballad he could think of, and Wanda would try and hex him…and her drunken hex bolts would miss and hit someone else or screw something up. Earlier Pietro and Lance had been playing a game guessing what would come out of each hex bolt. Her hexes - especially when drunk - were so unpredictable that John figured even she didn't know the outcome of each one, and Lance and Pietro nearly died of laughter each time she let one go.

And that abruptly ended when Fred's pants fell down. Lance drank the rest of the bottle and went and passed out, and Remy went to go sit in the kitchen to drink by himself. Fred, sober and completely embarrassed, wandered off to his room, which left only Tabby, Todd, Pietro, Wanda, and John to finish the night off.

Pietro and Tabitha had busied themselves with random apologies and making out, and John wasn't entirely interested in speaking with either of them anyhow. So for the past half hour, he had been left to be entertained by the Toad and witch, and he would be lying if he said that he wasn't having fun.

"Get outta my dreams!" Todd thrusted his hips drunkenly. "Get into my car! Get outta my dream, get into my back seat!"

John wiped at his tearing eyes furiously as he laughed. "You're singing it wrong, mate!"

"Don't encourage him!" Wanda shrieked.

Todd stumbled and fell to the floor. "Smooth operator…touch my bumper!"

"God, you're…argh!" Wanda buried her head into the pillows. "I give up!" John let out a loud snort and clutched his stomach as he fell into a fit of giggles.

Todd stood back up and spun around in a couple of random circles. "Make it real like a roadrunner…I'm…coming…after you!" he stopped abruptly and gave Wanda a strange look before his long, dark green tongue shot out of his mouth and slapped her right in the ass. The witch was so stunned that she fell off the couch in a heap and growled. John's eyes widened to the size of saucers, and he momentarily feared Todd's life. John looked up at the green skinned mutant and cocked his head to the side as the boy incoherently swayed on his feet.

"Though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night…!" he let out a violent hiccup. "I could seeeee paradise by tha dashboard light!" Wanda got to her feet and limped violently toward the younger boy, but before she could reach him, he randomly attempted a black flip and landed promptly on his face and threw up.

"Okay, that was…" Wanda nudged him in the head with her shoe. "Oh, that's gross!"

John bit back a violent urge to laugh, and cleared his throat. "Uh…is he passed out?"

"What happened?" Tabitha suddenly asked after finally pulling her face away from Pietro.

Pietro stood from his spot on the chair and approached Todd. "Hey, Froggy!"

Todd's eyes rolled around in his head as he lifted it from the floor. "I gotta know right now! Before we go any further do you love me?!" his head swayed dangerously as he sang a new song.

"Let me sleep on it," Pietro joked before grabbing the boy by the arm and speeding off toward the stairs, and not two seconds later came back for Tabitha and brought her up as well. Wanda stood dumbfounded in the middle of the room for a few seconds before she turned to him. (3)

"What the fuck just happened?"

He couldn't hold it in anymore; he fell over onto the couch and laughed so hard that he cried. "Billy Ocean! And Meatloaf!" he clutched his sides and pressed his face into the couch. "Oh, I didn't think the bloke had it in 'im!"

"How do you find this funny? He's a perverted little twerp!" Wanda scowled and limped back to the couch.

"Ya have ta admit, Sheila, he's got a lot of heart," John grinned at her, and moved over to let her sit down.

"Yeah, heart that he should give to someone else," she scowled and folded her arms.

John shifted himself so that he was looking at her directly. "Does it really bother ya that much, love?"

She refused to meet his gaze. "Why wouldn't it? Do you know what precautions I have to take just get changed in my room?"

"Maybe if ya just flash 'im a little bit he'll leave ya alone," John winked at her as he joked, which only caused her to scowl. He figured he was entering dangerous territory with her, but in his drunken state he couldn't stop the words from rolling off his tongue.

"Why on Earth would I do that?!" she shrieked at him. "That's like inviting him to molest me."

John grinned and flopped lazily over the arm of the couch. "Who can blame 'im then?"

"Excuse me!" she screamed, and soon he felt the painful sensation of a hex bolt as he flew roughly to the floor and was attacked violently by the bean bag chair. He laughed maniacally as the piece of furniture ripped open and showered him with its insides. "I can't believe you just said that!"

He shook his hair to free the caught beans and grinned. "What did I say again?"

"Don't you dare make me repeat it!" she hissed.

"I'd never dare try it, love," he laughed and stumbled to his feet. "Am I allowed back on the couch?"

She gave him a suspicious look, but moved back over nonetheless. "Fine. But all conversation about that disgusting vermin ends now."

"Aw, we can't even talk 'bout his Ricky Martin impression?" John sulked and flopped down next to her. "He had that sexy Latino hip grind down pat!"

Wanda visibly shuddered and smacked him with a pillow. "That's so gross. There is nothing sexy about him."

He grinned at the glazed over look in her eyes. "Not even that tongue? He was all the way on the other side of the room and he gotcha!"

Wanda folded her arms. "He's slimy."

"Aw come on, ya can't tell me that ya've never thought about it once?" he shifted himself on the couch so that he was fully facing her. "I mean, that's gotta be one major plus about hookin' up with a mutant!" he grinned at his thoughts and looked at her unimpressed face. "Not even once?"

"Why would I care? I have the power to do whatever I want!" she huffed again, and he couldn't help but grin at her reddening cheeks.

"Well, now that's just interestin'. Care to demonstrate?" he threw his hands up again to save himself from getting slapped. His mouth was definitely working against him tonight.

"You have a lot of guts," Wanda spat. "Obviously more of them than brains."

"Ah," John rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I've been told, but ya know that's never bothered me so much. Unless it was my Grandmamma sayin' it."

The sides of her mouth quirked up slightly. "Grandmamma?"

John grinned. "Yeah, I used ta live with her back in Sydney."

She shifted and frowned. "Don't you ever want to go back there?"

He shrugged. "Maybe someday. There really isn't anythin' there for me except cops. I'd probably just get arrested if I went back."

"Why?" she asked. She wasn't smiling, nor frowning; she just looked indifferent.

"I was in jail when I left," he explained casually. "Actually, I'm still supposed to be there right now! Until I'm twenty-one, actually. That was why I was workin' for yer dad there. He busted me out and took down a bunch of coppers in the process."

"Huh," she bit her lip, and looked to be in thought. John had a guilty thought about the memory wipe, and wondered briefly just how much Wanda actually did know about her father's past activities. He decided to drop the subject.

"Anyhow, it's really hot there anyways! So playin' wit' fire is kinda dangerous because things catch a lot easier."

She gave him a deadpanned look. "You control fire. It doesn't matter how big it gets, remember?"

He grinned. "But the bigger the better."

"So they say," she mumbled and leaned back on the couch. "But even if you're in trouble, don't you ever miss home? Or your grandma?"

John ruffled his hair and forced a tight smile. "Like I said, not much to miss. My Grandmamma died while I was in jail."

She frowned. "Sorry. What about your parents? Do you have any siblings?"

"Ya didn't know, and no none," John shifted again. "Although I wouldn't want a siblin' if there anythin' like some of the ones I've seen."

She snorted. "Yeah, they're overrated," she paused. "I always wanted to go back to where I came from."

He perked an eyebrow at her; he was surprised she seemed willing to open up to him about something from her past. "Yeah? Where's that?"

She leaned against the couch arm and maneuvered herself so that she was curled against it. "Europe…Transia to be exact. I was just born there though, we moved to America when I was really too young to remember much."

John smiled. "I figured ya would be a pure blooded New Yorker. Ya certainly come across that way."

She gave him a look and lifted her foot to kick him. "Thanks for the compliment," she joked.

He caught her foot with his hand. "Attitude isn't necessarily a bad thing, you know."

"Give me my foot back."

"Does it still hurt?" he questioned quietly as he inspected her Halloween themed socks.

He lifted his gaze to meet her eyes, and saw something flash in them. "Does what still hurt?" she asked.

"Yer foot…leg?" he quirked an eyebrow and set the foot down gently on his lap.

She shrugged and managed a small smile. "A little. I kinda forgot about it for awhile there though."

He blinked. "I'm sorry, ya know."

She watched him. "You don't need to be. You did what you had to do to get us out of there."

He rubbed a small circle on the top of her foot with his thumb. "I know that I get a little crazy sometimes when I fight, but I never meant to hurt ya at all. I just wanted ya to know that."

She looked to be holding back a laugh. "Wow, words I never expected out of your mouth."

He frowned. "Because I'm bein' serious, maybe?"

Her laughing smile was replaced with a genuine one - which was rare coming from her. "I know."

John moved his arm up when Wanda placed her other leg across his lap as well. He smirked and looked at her. "That _was_ a pretty cool fire though."

She nodded. "The explosion was better."

He let out a laugh. "Now we're talkin'."

* * *

(1) Dazzler, Siryn, and Chamber were randomly thrown in there as names for the current roster of new recruits at the institute. They're all canon characters from the comic-verse. Don't worry too much about the new recruits though because any appearances or mentions of them will be minimal and unimportant.   
(2) Lorna didn't even pick her own name in the comics, lol, so I guess she wouldn't mind  
(3) Toad was singing "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into my Car" by Billy Ocean, and then the lyrics to "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" were sung…and then jokingly finished by Toad and Pietro. Both are recommended listening if you are in a silly mood. :)   
(-) John's only ever known relative in any 'verse was his grandmother. Besides being uninterested in his powers as a teen in the comics (which is something we can't say for his evo counterpart, LOL) nothing else is known about his childhood.

**A/N**: Oi, this is what happens when Kristen listens to Meatloaf and Beastie Boys when she writes. Hehehe. Next chapter Mystique takes the boys - and the girls - to Xavier's to figure out more about this virus being developed. Confrontations take place between Romy, Lancitty, Xietro, and more Jonda! Anyhow, this is it for chapter 11, please review!


	12. Trust Me

**A/N**: Okay crazy **Romy and Lancitty fans**, here you go; my present to you for being so good and patient with me :) I wanted to comment on the way I write my Romy here before anyone gets upset about it.  
Most Romy stories tend to be very repetitive with the same trust, touch, and cheating issues that run completely rampant through them. I'm really trying to do _something_ different here that doesn't make people want to puke of boredom.  
Basically, I want to treat Rogue and Gambit like humans (more or less…mutants? I don't know) and not make their problems so condescending and annoying. So that being said I will put as much character development and background info into Rogue and Gambit as I can to make you understand their positions with each other better. If you like it, yay, if not…I'm sorry? I just can't pump out the same crap that 10,000 other people have posted on this site (of course there ARE major exceptions and wonderfully talented writers who are good with them; I'm not saying there aren't!)  
Anyways, too long of an A/N…here's the chapter, and enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 12 - Trust Me**

* * *

Pietro waited impatiently at the gates of the Xavier Institute for the rest of the Brotherhood to pull up. He could've just as well got into the vehicle and drove along with them, but he was in no mood to have people touching him and wrinkling his clothes and messing his hair. He would rather sneak in a spare moment of freedom and run there himself in less than half the time. Xavier's wasn't exactly on the same street as the boarding house, so a nice couple of seconds to get across town was welcomed in the speed demon's eyes. 

Once the van finally did pull up, Mystique jumped out of the driver's side angrily. It was once John piled out of the side door did her anger really seethe. "PYRO!"

"What?!" he yelled back at her just as loudly. "I'm right here!"

"Go back down the road and grab Toad's boots!" the blue skinned mutant folded her arms in front of her in an authoritative manner.

"I tol' ya! It wasn't me that threw 'em out the window!" John scoffed.

Mystique clenched her jaw. "I don't give one rat's ass _who_ it was, I'm annoyed with _you_ right now, so _you_ can go! NOW!"

John rolled his eyes and stalked off back down the road. "He's a bloody smelly clacker anyhow! Those damn boots should be burned!"

"Don't even think about it!" Mystique called after his retreating form. "Why the fuck did I ask him to join this cause again?" she muttered to herself and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Yo, I can't fight without my boots," Todd claimed as if it weren't obvious enough. For what it was worth, he seemed genuinely pissed that someone had messed around with his uniform in the van.

"No kidding," Mystique snapped. "Just get away from me until you can put them back on. You smell worse than death." Todd just rolled his eyes, and hopped away to go stand with Fred and Tabitha on the road.

Wanda, Remy, and Lance stumbled out of the van next, and each of them were practically gagging and holding their breath. Pietro perked an eyebrow at them. "What the hell were you guys doing in there?"

Wanda shuddered. "They will all die if it ever happens again, that's all I can say."

Lance and Remy started chuckling at that, and headed closer to the gate. Pietro watched as Wanda stood awkwardly with a sick look on her face. "You look like you're going to puke," Pietro pointed out.

"Yeah, and you look like the perfect target for me to do that on," she snapped. "You have no idea how disgusting Toad is."

Pietro rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure I do. I've known him longer than you have. You shoulda seen him when it was just us guys in the house."

"No thank-you," Wanda spat and fiddled with one of her black, spiked bracelets.

"What's got you so pissy?" Pietro snapped back at her. "Last I heard of you last night you were left all alone with your boyfriend."

She hexed him to the ground and glared at him. "Shut up."

"Lance told me he saw you sleeping on the couch together this morning," Pietro smirked and got back to his feet to speed to her side. "Were you - gasp - actually cuddling?"

"Fuck off!" she seethed, and missed an attempt to strike him once more. "I passed out!"

Pietro grinned at her annoyance. "Aw, and prince charming was there to take care of you; how _nauseating_."

Her face turned a bright red, and she slapped him in the face with a hex bolt. "Do you have a death wish or something, brother? The rate you're going you won't live to see our nineteenth birthday!"

Pietro struggled against her grip. "Settle down, geez Wanda! Lighten up."

"Yeah I bet you would snap too if the town slut was bugging you for something as small and petty as…"

"Sleeping next to someone?" Pietro sniggered and buzzed away from her once more. "I would say that I could relate, but unfortunately I've yet to meet a bigger slut than I," he joked.

"How about your girlfriend?" Wanda spat lividly and stomped away from him before he could get another word in. Pietro could only roll his eyes and waited for Mystique's further direction.

John finally stormed back up the street and harshly threw Todd's boots at him. "You're a sick motherfucker," John said distastefully. "Do ya keep cheese and goat turd in those things or somethin'?"

Todd only glared at the red head. "Just my feet!"

"Close enough," Wanda snarled.

"Okay, all of you shut the hell up!" Mystique bellowed. "Avalanche, do me a favor and take these damn gates down! We need to get in there and show them that we mean business."

Lance nodded and held his hands out in front of him until the gates crumbled from their hinges and folded down to the ground. A few bricks from the concrete wall surrounding the institute had also fallen loose, and that instantly triggered the mansion's security systems. Lasers, missiles and cannons erupted from the lawn and statues, but Lance just laughed at the sight of them. He pointed his hands out to each target and sent the ground rippling like monsoon sized waves, instantly disabling anything that put them at risk. Single handedly the rock tumbler destroyed everything that blocked their path, and didn't let the ground settle until he saw an X-Man in front of them.

And of course the first X-Man out the door was just the person Pietro wanted to see.

Without a single word, weapon X-23 ran at the Brotherhood in a form fitting, black leather uniform, and all six claws prepared to kill. Pietro watched in amazement as her eyes hardened to stone and she dove straight at Lance and tackled him to the ground. The look of pure anger and bloodlust was nothing he ever saw from an X-Man before; they were always just all whiney and stuck up like.

"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" she growled in his friend's face; two claws on either side of his throat. Lance swallowed hard and stared hard into the clone's face.

"X! Get off of him!" More voices were heard as the Institute's inhabitants all began to pile out onto the now defunct lawn. Rogue was the one commanding X-23 off of Avalanche, but the clone had yet to move.

Laura cocked her head to the side and gave Lance her best glare. "I guess today's your lucky day."

Lance only pushed her off and stood up, brushing dirt and grass from his uniform pants. His eyes stared hardened at the clone, but immediately softened once he spotted Kitty approach angrily. Pietro watched with interest as the X-Men eyed his team up, but his face soon fell once he caught sight of his father approaching him.

"What on Earth did _you_ want?" Magneto bellowed angrily at the group. "You're lucky we don't take you down and hand you into the authorities!"

Mystique threw her head back and laughed at him. "Right, Eric. Those are such pathetic words coming from you." She approached him bravely. "You could do that, but we have something to share with you that you might find interesting."

"You didn't have to break the damn gate down!" Rogue scoffed. "Talk about overkill."

Mystique only perked an eyebrow at her mouthy daughter before speaking to Magneto again. "Let us into your laboratory and we shall speak further."

"As long as you promise no fighting I will help you," Pietro's father agreed. "Otherwise you can go elsewhere."

Mystique rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a baby, Eric. You obviously have more than three times the amount of students in your school than we have on our team. I'm not that stupid."

"Come along then," Magneto gestured toward the school before turning to its students. "All of you go back inside to your rooms. My team stay put."

As both teams reconvened with their respective leaders, Pietro let his eyes scan the lawn for the clawed girl. X-23 was giving him a predatory stare that made his spine tingle. The more and more he watched her - with all the strange and dangerous habits she had - the more she interested him. It also helped that she was damn good looking too with a rock hard body to boot.

"Is this a medical emergency?" Magneto inquired. "Or does this have to do with the stunt you all pulled in New York?"

Pietro perked his eyebrow up at in surprise at that; he wasn't aware that the X-Men knew of their activities. At least, the Brotherhood had no way of knowing how much was public knowledge either; they hadn't even cracked the television on since they'd been back.

Mystique stood her ground though. "What I have in my hand is probably the single biggest threat to mutant kind since Apocalypse. I assure you it is of great interest." Magneto turned on his heel and he and Mystique marched side by side into the Institute without another word. A few members of the X-Men followed Magneto inside, but the others stood and stared down the Brotherhood.

Pietro sped behind X-23 and dipped his head down to her ear level. "Nice to see you again_, Laura_."

'_Snikt_' Claws unsheathed, and Pietro quickly sped out of the way. "Don't you dare call me that," she hissed. "Where did you learn of that information?"

Pietro smirked at her. "I have my ways."

She retracted her claws and stared at him. "Then I think you know what I am capable of if you know that much."

"Oh, I'm very aware," Pietro conceded. "But something tells me you aren't happy about that fact."

Her eyebrows pinched inward. "Why would I want you of all people to know anything about me? You are very annoying and quite incompetent. Are you sure you're able to handle information like that wisely?"

"You don't give me enough credit," he gave her a crooked grin, and sped around her to dodge another punch. "I think I'd surprise you."

A hint of amusement flashed in her eyes, but she tried not to show it. "Well you've yet to surprise me. I still get these urges to stab you, so that should say something about that."

"Stabbing, huh?" Pietro grinned. "Well at least you've gotten over sniffing me."

She didn't look impressed. "With that cologne you wear I couldn't bear sniffing you any longer."

"Hey a guy like me has to be presentable," he defended. "How else are all you ladies going to bask in my company if I'm not?"

She pushed him roughly to the ground and stepped on his throat. "I have enhanced senses! Your cologne makes me nauseous. You are not presentable in any way, nor would I ever bask in your company."

Pietro rolled his eyes and shifted under her weight. "Not even my cute face?" he joked.

"Not your face, your stupid antennae hair, or your bad fashion sense can save you now," she hissed as she bent lower toward him.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're cute when you're homicidal?" he lulled.

She narrowed her eyes at him before releasing her hold and stalked back to the house. Pietro watched her retreating form before a shadow cast over his form, and he was roughly slapped in the head.

"Ow!"

"What the hell was that?" A loud voice spoke from above him. It was Tabitha, and she looked pissed with her hands on her hips like that.

He stared at her angry face and grinned. "Jealous?"

"You wish," Tabby scoffed. "Like your head needs to get any bigger."

"Then what's the problem?" Pietro smirked at her obvious envy.

"You're an ass, that's what!" she spun on her heel and also made her way into the school.

"Smooth, Pietro," he heard Remy from behind him. "Before ya know it, every girl in town's gonna be stalkin' into that place ta get away from ya."

"Shut up."

* * *

Lance stared wordlessly at Kitty. Even though she was clearly angry at him, the sight of her after going days without seeing her took his breath away. They needed to talk about what happened between them on the phone, and most of all Lance felt the need to explain to her his actions. He still wasn't entirely comfortable about the fact that he was now considered a murderer, but those people were bad! They were preparing to kill mutants and harm them all! In his mind, the actions were justified; he surely couldn't let humans kill them off. The Brotherhood was just preventing mutant extinction, and if death had to be part of that then that was that. He didn't like it, but there was no other way! 

Her shoulders were slumped and her hair was down. He could tell that she probably hadn't slept the previous night; hell, if it wasn't for the bottle of Jack Daniels that he drowned himself in, he probably wouldn't have slept either. He couldn't stand fighting with her. It made him moody and irritable and every other crappy emotion he could think of.

And of course she had to just stand there and ignore his very existence as she sought attention from that stupid Russian on her team. Like _he_ had anything to offer her; he was fucking boring and old. Lance didn't like him at all. Gathering his courage, he approached the two defiantly.

"Hey Kitty," Lance lulled casually.

She turned to face him with a frown. "Lance."

"I just wanted to…ah…" Lance stared distractedly at the giant Russian to their left and frowned. "Will you give us some privacy or something, buddy?"

"I think that may be unwise," Colossus spoke with a scarily deep voice. "I do not wish any harm on Katya."

Lance rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to harm _Kitty_, I just want to talk to her. I'm her boyfriend so I think I should at least get that right, _bud_."

Colossus' face grew angry and he armored up, growing another towering foot over Lance's head. The rock tumbler clenched his fist menacingly. The Russian stepped forward. "I have heard of you and your murdering ways. I shall not let you any access to her."

"And just what the hell do you think you're gonna do to stop me, Boris?" Lance challenged.

"Both of you, like, knock it off! I'm not in the mood," Kitty folded her arms and looked to Colossus. "Pete, just give me one minute, okay? I promise I'll be alright."

The bigger man rubbed a hand across her shoulders and nodded before hesitantly leaving. Lance just glared at his back. "In America we call that pedophilia, you know!"

"Lance!" Kitty hissed.

"Sorry, that guy's like, what? Twenty-four?" Lance shook his hair from his face angrily. "That's just wrong - and illegal."

"Since when do you care about the right side of the law?" Kitty spat at him angrily.

"When it counts for something important!" Lance joked humorlessly. "Seriously, who the hell is that guy and why is he all up on you all the time?"

"_He_ is my friend!" Kitty defended. "Stop being so damn jealous, Lance, it's unattractive."

"And so is you letting another guy rub on you!" Lance argued. "But I'm not here to fight about this shit! I want to _stop_ fighting!"

She folded her arms; it was obvious she was forcing her tears back again. "I don't want to fight with you either, Lance, but times are kinda weird right now."

He sighed and grabbed her hand. "You won't even give me a chance to explain myself! I'd think that after dating for this long you would at least trust my judgment a little bit."

"What can you possibly explain?" she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Lance you are responsible for killing people! Those men probably had wives and babies at home, and mothers who loved them. But you took their lives away just 'cause Mystique told you to. I don't know how you think you can make me sympathize with you."

Lance felt his throat dry right out at her words. "They were bad people! You can go inside right now and see proof of that! That's why we're here! We did what had to be done to save mutants! It's justified…"

"It's hardly justified," Kitty cut him off. "Even if what you say is truth there was always a different approach you could've taken to get your 'info'. No one ever needs to die on team missions."

"It was them or us," Lance croaked lamely, his voice catching in his throat.

She shook her head. "You need to get your priorities straight. This can't happen again."

Lance swallowed the growing lump in his throat. "Please Kitty…I need you…you're my first priority - always."

She tightened her grip on his hand as a tear slid down her cheek. "I love you so much, Lance. I hate to see you doing this to yourself."

He blinked a few times, and took a deep breath. "I know you don't understand now…but I promise you will. I'm not…" he dipped his head shamefully. "I'm not a bad…person."

She grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. "I know you, Lance. You don't have to tell me that. Which is why I'm so bewildered about all this. I just can't understand it no matter how hard I try…and I don't know if I ever will."

He just wanted to feel her. Pulling her hand toward him, he wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed the top of her head. "Just…please don't give up on me."

She pulled away from him and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. "I don't want to have to…"

Lance gave her a pleading look. "Then don't." Without another word between them - and with thick tension floating in the air - they migrated toward each other, and held one another in a tight hug. Lance hoped with every fiber of his being that they could work it out.

* * *

"This is most disturbing," Professor Xavier muttered as he, Magneto, and Beast read over the file Mystique had brought with her. "Are you absolutely sure that your 'source' of information is reliable?" 

Mystique glared at him. "You know my work, Charles. Believe me, this is accurate."

"Well if that is the case," Hank McCoy, the furry blue beast began. "This is most certainly something that is cause for concern."

Mystique looked over her shoulder at the students in the room with them. Tabitha, Fred, Todd, and Gambit had accompanied her, and Magneto's mutants - Magma, X-23, Rogue, and Iceman also stood watch. Magneto caught her looking at the mutants and turned to them. "Would you all mind waiting outside while we discuss this further. X-Men, you will get a full briefing later on once some decisions are made."

Wordlessly, the students turned and left the room, leaving the four adults alone in the laboratory. Mystique was confident the four men would not try anything with her. The blue skinned woman looked at Hank. "Please, continue."

"The disease, according to these papers and pamphlets, is currently in development. However, these files are dated back as far as two months ago, so it is uncertain whether or not it has been completed." He adjusted his glasses and took a seat on a nearby chair. "According to these notes, in any event, this virus is made to target the X-gene specifically. In other words, it would have no effect on humans, and only mutants."

"I gathered that much," Mystique muttered. "Is it fatal?"

Raven watched as Magneto's unreadable expression mentally pressed for Hank to continue. The Beast sighed dreadfully. "I can't be certain without a living sample, but I have concluded that this virus would first attach itself to the X-gene and spread from there. Now, if it was attached to the X-Gene it's only a safe assumption that the virus would disrupt the targeted mutants' abilities. Perhaps it would cause the powers to exaggerate themselves, or even cause them to go out of control. At any rate, this virus may even defeat the mutants' abilities permanently."

"Yes," Magneto agreed. "It could also possibly even turn the mutant's powers against them. For example, someone who has telepathic abilities could be bombarded from psionic energies that they are normally immune to. This could cause insanity, aneurisms, brain damage, or death. Or someone like your own son who teleports through other dimensions could get trapped there…or trapped in other places."

Mystique cursed. "We need to stop this!"

"Agreed," the Professor spoke. "But we cannot have a repeat of what the Brotherhood did in New York."

"You have got to be kidding me!" she snapped. "These humans are looking to end the very existence of our race, and you don't think this is an acceptable time to declare war? Are you out of your mind?!"

The Professor narrowed his eyes. "This is an acceptable time to prove to humans that we should be coexisting, not fighting. We should refrain from making this worse than it already is."

"Bullshit!" Mystique cursed and snatched her file back from the doctor. "These humans deserve to die for even thinking of such a thing! We cannot let them get away with this! They are denying their own futures! We mutants are evolution!"

"Charles…" Magneto started. "This needs to be stopped."

The Professor nodded. "Yes, Eric, I agree. I will put your team in charge of monitoring and interfering with activity. We will take a take a stealth approach until our intervening is required. Until then, Raven, the X-Men can handle this."

Mystique inwardly seethed at the man's naïveté. "Charles, my team and I will be involved. You can count on that. There is no way we will sit back and watch this unfold while you sit around with your brats and sing kumbuya."

"Then we will have no choice but to inform the authorities of your whereabouts," Professor warned. "You are wanted fugitives at the moment, and I would not hesitate to let you get locked up for what you did."

Mystique snorted and began to walk out of the room. "Go ahead. But I have all the information - you have nothing. Lock me away and you will be stuck at that point forever."

* * *

She could feel his eyes on her. 

Those beautiful black on red eyes were always on her when given the chance, and Rogue just knew if she were to turn around that hunky Cajun would be eying her up. With the rest of her teammates seemingly involved in conversation, she turned to face him. "Ya got a starin' problem or somethin', swamp rat?"

A lazy smile spread across his face. "I don' believe so. I just have a beautiful woman 'ere who I can't take my eyes off of."

She raised her eyebrows and approached him. "Yah keep tryin' to be smooth, but ya know damn well that we need ta talk."

He held a hand out to her, but she backed off. When the Brotherhood had come to the grounds, she had been busy training in the danger room in a work out mode by herself. She had nothing on but a pair of gym shorts and a tank top; she didn't want to risk him touching her at the moment…she wasn't so sure she wanted to see what had been in his mind recently, especially with the ongoing accusations that he was linked to a mass murder scene.

"Chere…" Remy whispered.

"Just be careful where yoah puttin' yoah hands!" she huffed and folded her arms. "Ah don't need ya floatin' around in mah head right now."

"Like that would make any difference," he smirked. "I know I'm on yer mind as much as yer on mine."

She scowled at him. "Rem!"

"What?!" he threw his hands up and laughed.

"This is no time foah jokes!" she scolded. "What were y'all doin' in New York, and tell meh the truth!"

Remy frowned and gestured her further away from the others. "I don't wanna get into this right now! I haven't seen ya in days, and I wanna catch up!"

Rogue frowned. "And what do ya expect, Ah missed ya sex? That ain't gonna happen!"

"No shit!" he hissed. "I don't like to get into work details when I'm with ya! I'd like to leave those aside, if ya don't mind because yer a little different a priority in that matter."

She sighed. "Look, this affects meh more than ya think! Magneto's tryin' to use meh to get the dirt on y'all, and he's pissin' down on meh every time somethin' happens that Ah don't report to him. Ah refuse to play the go between!"

His pretty eyes narrowed. "I never asked ya to, mon amour."

"Ah know! But Ah feel forced ta! Ah'm defendin' ya to mah own leaders, and Ah don't even know if Ah even believe what Ah'm sayin' anymoah! What am Ah supposed to do?" she folded her arms and kicked at the ground.

Remy reached into his trench coat and pulled out a pair of gloves that he kept on him at all times. Once they were securely on his hands, he traced a finger down the side of Rogue's cheek before pulling her in for a hug. "Mon amour, ya know that I appreciate everythin' that ya do for this here Cajun. But I will _not_ let you mess things up for you and yer amies. I refuse ta."

Rogue swallowed and stared him in the eye. "Is it true, Rem? Did y'all kill all those people?"

Remy stared at her long and hard. "Ya know right well Rogue that I've done things in the past that I ain't particularly fond of. I've been responsible for death before…it's part of my life growin' up that I don' like to think 'bout. But it's also part of my job." He shook his growing hair from his face, and leaned in so that he was more eye level with her. "I knew what I was gettin' into when I came into this contract."

And she knew that full well too; it was just that sometimes it didn't sit well with her. But over a year ago on a New Orleans bayou she had touched her love for the first time and looked into his mind and thought processes. She knew the reasons behind the things that he did, and how he felt about doing them. Business was life for Remy, and she knew that from the first day she had appropriately met him. The deal they had was that he was up front with her - wouldn't hide anything - and she would try her best to trust him and not judge. It had worked for the most part for them; it took the focus off of other obvious problems and limitations in their relationship. But up until that point it hadn't bothered her that much. She didn't want to outwardly show her concern to her teammates; she was always stubborn about sticking to her own opinions even when she knew she may be wrong. All she needed was his reassurances and perhaps things may be easier to swallow.

Not fixed, but at least easier.

It was almost impossible for him to have secrets anyways; one skin-to-skin touch and she knew everything - and at that point in their relationship she pretty much did know everything she needed to know. He'd been dumb enough more than once to touch her despite the restraint, so she'd been in his head several times. It would be futile for her to actually be angry about anything now.

"Ah know that, Rem," she raked a hand through her hair and sighed. "Ah just feel so…frustrated 'bout it sometimes…"

"And I apologize for that," his sweet lips turned up into a smile. "The last thing I would wanna do is make yer life difficult, Roguey."

She smirked. "Ya always make mah life difficult, swamp rat. It's in yoah nature."

"Well, if it puts a smile on yer face," he winked at her, and leaned in to kiss the top of her head. "Then that's good enough for me, chere."

"O' course it is," she rolled her eyes good naturedly. "As long as it gets ya attention and compliments its good foah ya."

"Ya wound me, chere," he joked and smirked at once. "But I'm glad ta see that ya know me that well."

She gave him a teasing smile. "Good foah ya, Ah suppose…but foah meh?"

Remy smiled before trapping her in a good old fashion bear hug. "Oh, ya know ya love it…river rat."

"Stop calling meh that!"

* * *

"I can't believe that Sheila left us 'ere," John complained and kicked at the curb he was walking on. Wanda could only roll her eyes at him. 

"Well maybe if you hadn't been so adamant about breaking into the tool shed, maybe we wouldn't be walking home!" she yelled. John had wanted to so badly steal whatever gasoline or other combustibles in Xavier's shed that they had missed their ride home with Mystique. While the other boys in the group had their focuses on members of the institute, Wanda and John didn't really care for its occupants as much and decided to find something more interesting to do during their stay.

And of course, they were stuck finding their own way back to the boarding house, and Wanda just knew that Mystique wasn't going to be pleased about it either.

"Did ya see how much kerosene was in there?" the firebug skipped happily. "I'm goin' back there an' takin' it…maybe t'night."

She rolled her eyes again. "How the hell are you going to get in there? Those sensors would fry you!"

"I'm hurt! Have ya no faith in my sneakin' abilities?" he put his hands on his hips and scoffed.

"Absolutely none whatsoever," she grinned at him. "You are way too loud and silly for things like that."

"SILLY?" John laughed loudly. "_You_ just said silly."

"Yeah, it's a word!" Wanda glared. "Haven't you ever heard of it?"

"O' course," he chuckled. "Just not from your mouth. It's like you're too cool to say a word like silly."

"Oh shut up," she snapped at him, but couldn't help but smile at his laughter. "That was the only word I could think of that you wouldn't have taken offense to."

"It takes a lot to offend me," he proudly stated. "You could say anything, and I would probably just laugh at you." He eyed her before jumping off of the curb and onto the road beside her. "Do I come across as the sensitive type?"

She looked at him; messy hair sticking up everywhere, goofy grin, laughing eyes…_sexy body_… "Uh…" she rubbed her chin in thought. "No, I guess not. Not really; but I'd bet you are one of those deep down inside sensitive kind of guys."

He grinned. "Ya think so?"

"Yeah like one of those secret romance writers or something," she teased. (1)

He rolled his eyes, and his grin stretched further. "Oh yes, ya've got me all figured out now. Now I'm gonna have to go home an' cry in my journal."

She couldn't help but laugh at that. "Oh that would be a sight. God, that sounds like something my fucking brother would do."

"Ew! Then I definitely don't wanna do that!" John started walking backwards, probably due to boredom. "I still swear he's gay."

Wanda laughed. "Yes all the females in his life must be over-compensation. He's probably just hiding behind them all."

John laughed. "That's what I thought too!"

"Well aren't we just psychic," Wanda rolled her eyes good naturedly, and stretched out her arms ahead of her. "Damn, my shoulders hurt today."

"Maybe ya shouldn't sleep on tha couch," John chided playfully.

She blushed. "Okay, I didn't plan on doing that!"

John smiled. "Hey, I'm not complainin' any…I feel fine!"

She bit her lip and stared down at her shoes at that; the memory of waking up on the same couch as him that morning had burned in her mind. Her feet were still propped up on his lap from their position the previous night, and John had all but draped himself over her legs in an attempt to share the crowded couch and get comfortable. She wasn't upset at him for falling asleep with her, but pleasantly surprised. But she would be damned if she ever said that to him out loud.

"I'm sure you do," she muttered before looking up again.

"We should definitely get crunked up again sometime! That was more fun than I've had in awhile…well, since ole blue lady came home," he mused as he turned around and began walking facing the proper direction again.

Wanda didn't know what to say to that; he actually liked hanging out with her it seemed. She gave him a small smile. "Sure…I mean, I don't care or anything."

He gave her a wide grin. "Oh look! One of those freaky balloon shapin' blokes! Wanna go see what kinda bad things we can make him shape?"

Wanda gave him a strange look. "Bad things?"

The pyromaniac rolled his eyes and grabbed her by the elbow. "Lighten up, geez. Trust me, harassin' those blokes is better than it sounds."

"I'm sure it is," she mumbled.

"Trust me," he gave her an incredibly sexy smile that wouldn't have allowed her to disagree if she tried.

"Why wouldn't I?"

* * *

(1) - Pyro equals gothic romance writer in comics. Didn't want to add that little tidbit of his character to him here just…because I guess. LOL. A reference is enough for me :) 

**A/N**: Alright that about wraps things up for this edition.If you think particular couples are in the clear and destined for great things, think again. Trouble is still over the horizon for our heroes (whichever side you choose as the heroes is your prerogative :P). Next chapter: AlexLornaBobby saga continues, X-23 begins asking questions, Magneto, Kitty and Colossus, and Mystique calls our fearless team leaders down for an impromptu mission. So basically LOADS of X-Men next chapter, and some BoM. Hope you enjoyed this installment, and don't forget to review!


	13. Fight Fire With Fire

**A/N**: Well, I'm glad that the website is done messing around! I had to double send some reviews, forum posts, etc because they just seemed to get lost in cyber land! As much as I like this site I freaking hate it sometimes. Jeez. Anyhow, lots of X-Men stuff this chapter, so I hope that you like! I know some of you are itching for a fight, and I promise that's coming up next chapter! So for now enjoy a little downtime:)

* * *

**Chapter 13 - Fight Fire with Fire**

* * *

"What does she want now?" Lance grumbled as he and Remy walked down the steps to the basement. "I feel like I've been down here way too many times already today." 

Remy laughed at the guy; he could whine so much sometimes. "Mon ami, who knows what the hell she wants. As long as she ain't lookin' to turn any tricks, I don't really care to tell ya the truth."

Lance visibly shuddered. "I don't even want to think where that idea might've come from."

Remy grinned at him before stopping at her door. "No, ya probably don't wanna."

Lance scowled and raised his hand to knock on the door. After about two seconds, Mystique's voice carried through the door loud and clear. "Come in."

Lance eyed Remy once more for good measure before the Cajun got annoyed and opened up the door. Remy knew that Lance was co-leader for a reason -- the brotherhood trusted him and looked up to him more than anyone else. However, Remy's part came in when it was time for strategy and experience. As different as their roles were, the two of them did make a good team even if they did annoy the hell out of each other sometimes.

When they entered the room, Mystique was typing at her computer at an inhuman rate. She looked to be going over the dozens of files that had been gathered at the warehouse a few nights ago.

"Ya wanted to see us?" Remy asked as he leaned against the door, not wanting to go into her room any further than he had to.

"Shut the door," she ordered before finally turning around in her chair to regard them.

"What's up?" Lance asked her.

"I've been doing a lot of research on some of the FOH information. I was able to uncover a new undercover Sentinel operative warehouse. Trask and some other unknown _thing_ have them under production." She explained with a wave of her hand. Her normal angry frown was gone and replaced with a thoughtful look. Remy thought it looked weird on her.

"Thing?" Lance questioned. "So what is it a computer or something?"

"I…I don't know," she mumbled awkwardly. "It seems to be some sort of life form, but they refer to it as an 'it'. I'm not entirely sure what 'it' is."

Lance's eyebrows rose. "Okay then. That's fucked."

"Indeed," she conceded. "Anyhow, they are operating this base out of Baltimore. It looks to be a massive compound -- probably even bigger than the last one we infiltrated."

"Sounds like a big job," Remy muttered.

"It is," Mystique finally looked at him. "I am also a little wary about going in without more information. I need someone else, someone a little more technogically experienced to go through these files with me in greater detail."

Remy shrugged. "I can do that."

Mystique smirked. "I've had more training and experience for longer than both of your ages combined. If the job was that simple it would be done already."

Lance sighed angrily and rolled his eyes. "So just go back to the X-losers again and have them help you if we're so damn incompetent."

She stared at him, obviously trying to bite her tongue. "Their help is no longer an option. Apparently you guys did little to cover your tracks. There are suspect descriptions floating around of five of you linking you to the warehouse. We need to be more careful. Xavier and Magneto have already threatened to rat us out, and they refuse to assist without getting involved."

"Sounds just like them," Lance muttered.

Remy only smirked. "What else do ya expect, mon ami?"

"Xavier and his naïveté would be a major liability to our cause," Mystique explained. "We cannot let him get involved. That being said, we will have to take out the Sentinel program, and then worry about the virus after."

"This is getting worse and worse as we go on," Lance groaned.

Mystique sighed. "The virus - _as far as I know_ - is only in development at the moment, so we have time to spare. These new Sentinels have been in production for the last year, so they are top priority."

"So what's de plan then?" Remy inquired as he shuffled a few cards between his fingers. "You want more info, but you want the Sentinels destroyed ASAP? I think we need a plan here."

"I have one in mind already," Mystique announced. "We get our info first. By doing this task, we not only unlock what we need to proceed, but it will also give us the edge over the X-Men."

Remy perked an eyebrow. "I'm not followin'."

Mystique turned her chair around to dig into a drawer in her desk to look for something. Lance gave him a look that clearly said he was growing increasingly annoyed with Mystique and her vague ideas. Remy completely agreed with him. As she rummaged around for a few more minutes, she found what she was looking for and handed a manila folder to the boys.

Lance looked inside and let out a low whistle. "Who's the babe?"

"Boys that is Sage. She has many vital mutant abilities that could be of great use to us. Not only that, but she also possesses amazing combat skills…_and_ has a vendetta against Charles Xavier."

Remy skimmed her power description and his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "So her brain's basically a computer?"

Mystique nodded. "Her mind is a wonderful thing. A brain is divided into many areas, and the normal mind only has limited grasp of these areas. Sage can access every part of her brain whenever she wants, and not only so, but she can also access various areas simultaneously." Mystique's smile widened. "She has the ability to analyze probabilities, a genius level IQ, a perfect memory, and the ability to read a person's entire genetic code and boost it."

"Boost it?" Lance repeated.

Mystique nodded. "That applies to mutants with untapped energy potential. Say if one of you had another secondary latent mutation, or a part of your current mutation hadn't been realized yet…she could basically turn it on for you."

Remy's eyes widened. "Sounds like one dangerous chick."

"She is indeed," Mystique agreed. "Which is why _she_ is your next mission before we go ahead and do anything else regarding the FOH."

"How do we know she'll even come with us?" Lance asked, and handed the file over to Remy. "I don't think I even want to try and fight this girl."

"You won't have to," Mystique replied. "She's being held prisoner at the moment, thanks to Xavier. She was a student of his that he sent on a spy mission about five years ago to the Hellfire Club. I did a lot of spying within Hellfire walls while I was away, and I know that she's being held captive."

"And Xavier didn't even send his goons over?" Remy inquired. That sounded completely out of character for the Professor.

"Yes, there is a lot more to Charles than you would ever know," she replied smugly. "Which is why I know she will help our cause. She is a mercenary, and therefore should be willing as long as I have a contract ready for her…and I give her a shot at Xavier in return."

Remy nodded. "So who's holdin' her hostage?"

"A telepath named Elias Bogan. And since his powers are psionic, that leaves me with little choice of people to send in for the rescue. Gambit, you, Pyro, and Quicksilver are my only people with mental blocks, correct?"

Remy nodded. "Yep. Xavier placed 'em in when we went after Mesmero."

"Then you three will do the primary rescue mission. The rest of you will be cover and take out anyone from the Hellfire Club that gets in your way." She replied.

"Wait," Lance interrupted. "When are we going?"

"Tonight," Mystique replied. "I want you to go upstairs and brief the team. Repair anything that was destroyed in the warehouse mission, and be on your way."

* * *

Kitty perched her face on her hand as she tried as hard as she could to concentrate on her physics homework. It was such an easy course for her for the most part, but she was the type of person who let her nerves get the better of her when it came around to test time. 

But with everything going on with the Brotherhood, Lance, and the newfound information that the Professor and Magneto briefed them on, she found it incredibly difficult to concentrate on something as boring as physics. She couldn't believe some of the things that they had told her; the FOH sounded like a freaky pack of people.

Because of the new knowledge, she was now more conflicted about her argument with Lance. These people were bad and what they were doing was so wrong, so was it right that she felt that maybe his actions had in fact been _just a little_ justified? She still was not happy about the murder, and did not agree with the Brotherhood's violence, but these people did need to be dealt with. She would do whatever her leaders told her to do to get the task done; she trusted them.

"Katya?"

Kitty jumped at the sound of Piotr's deep voice. The large Russian man stood in front of her table in the middle of Xavier's library with a concerned look on his face. "Oh, like, hi Piotr."

"Are you doing well today?" he asked politely. "And may I sit here with you?"

"Like, of course!" she grabbed her books and shoved them away to give him some table space. "I'm doing a little better today. I'm just trying to do some homework, but I kinda keep thinking about all the stuff Magneto told us."

He nodded gently. "As do I. The idea of a mutant killing sickness very much scares me."

"How could someone be so cruel to even think of such a thing?" she asked him rhetorically, and feeling even more miserable about it. "I don't understand how someone could be so…hateful."

"It saddens me deeply," he said softly, his eyes never leaving hers. "But I wish that Magneto would take us to this place to get it under control. I do not like the idea of waiting for it."

Kitty felt touched at his passion. "I think it's kind of difficult, you know? We can't wait for it, but it would, like, totally be a bad idea to just go in and attack. Someone would probably end up regretting it if we did that."

"This is true," Piotr agreed. "I somehow have the feeling that my former comrades do not feel the same way, though. They are rather…what is the word? Headstrong? They like to rush into things."

Kitty thought of Lance, and thought that he would probably go along too, if not reluctantly. "Yes they do, unfortunately."

"They were always such action junkies," Piotr continued. "It confused me because they did not like Magneto, but they always loved getting into battle. I thought maybe that it released some anger for them, but sometimes I think that maybe they really do just like to fight."

"I couldn't tell you," she sighed. "I only know Lance really well out of that group, and I still have a hard time seeing him do any of that stuff."

"He seems very volatile," he pointed out. "Maybe more reluctant than the others, but not entirely unwilling; I hear that he is their leader."

Kitty nodded. "Yeah, Pete, he is. I'd be lying if I said that fact didn't bother me just a little bit."

Piotr stared at her for a little while before speaking again. "I know this might be…personal, but…if it bothers you so, why do you continue to see this boy?"

Kitty bit her lip. "I don't know. All I know is that I care for him so much. Maybe I just can't let him go, I don't know. But I worry sick about him."

"Perhaps that is not very good for your health, Katya," Piotr soothed with his sweet voice. "I worry for you."

It made her feel refreshingly good to hear those words. Everyone who talked to her about Lance didn't quite understand exactly what it was that they had, and nor did they try to. People like Rogue tried to defend him and make her see all of his positives, while most other people just dumped on him and called him a loser. Piotr seemed to genuinely care about what _she_ was going through, and it was nice to see someone trying to at least respect her feelings. Of course, Piotr had always been so good to her, and such a wonderful friend. Since the day he had joined the institute they had a continuously growing friendship, and she valued that very much.

"Thanks Pete; that means a lot to me," she smiled at him.

"I only try to look out for you," he smiled back at her. "I do not want to see this boy hurt you. I know that you care for him very much, but I often grow concerned about how you seem unhappy at times."

"It's just stress, I promise," she reassured him. "Between the team, and him, and school, and everything else…sometimes I just feel overloaded, you know? How nice it would be to take a vacation, or something!"

"Agreed," he grinned at her. "I would love to go back to my homeland of Russia someday soon. I miss my family very much."

"That's sweet," she chirped. "I would love to see Russia. I've seen it on the television, and it looks so totally beautiful."

"It is," his face lit up at the mention. "Especially in the winter when everything glows with snow. I do not mind the cold at all, even when I had to go out in the fields."

"You live on a farm?" she asked interestedly.

"Yes, I did for my whole life," he chuckled. "There was always hard work to do. It was on the farm that I discovered my powers."

"Really?"

"Yes," he replied. "A very long story involving a tractor and a playful little girl."

God, he was so cute sometimes. "Tell it to me."

* * *

X-23 let out a grunt as she walked through the woods behind the institute. All day she had been out slicing up trees, logs, fences…whatever it was that was in front of her face that pissed her off enough. The last few days had not only been informative and miserable for the students at the mansion, but very confusing and frustrating as well. X-23 knew that there was a huge threat looming, and she hated the fact that they were being forced to sit back and wait for a war to come to them. 

During her time with Hydra, she was trained to be a predator; never was she ever to become the hunted. Since she was able to walk she had been taught to fight, so naturally waiting around for an attack irritated her. X-23 had more faith in a guy like Magneto -- no matter how bad his past was -- than she did in Xavier. Magneto gave them way more liberties and had his head on more straight in terms of battle tactics, in her opinion.

She unsheathed her claws and let out a grunt as she jammed her fist into a large oak tree. Pain from the force shot up her arm, but she tried hard to ignore it. The radius bone in forearm clearly cracked, and she pushed some pressure on it to return it back to its proper place until it healed itself. Self mutilation was something that helped her keep her emotions in check. So many times she had been lectured about it and told it was wrong, but in her eyes it was better than going out and stabbing someone else. (1)

Once the burning in her arm stopped, she retracted her claws and made her way out onto the lawn in the backyard area. A few of the new recruits were playing games in the pool, and the boys and girls from Logan's team were involved in a basketball match on the court. She wasn't really friends with any of them, so therefore didn't know as much about them as she could. They were very happy children who loved socializing and goofing around. X-23 was definitely more introverted; there weren't any other children she was allowed to play with when she was growing up.

She didn't have any social skills anyway, and nor did she see the point of running back and forth and throwing a ball in a hoop.

In fact, the amount of people she actually did talk to in the institute was very limited. There was Logan and Storm, but they were on the other team. Kitty was also very nice to her, but got on X-23's nerves fast. Of all the other teens, she only ever seemed to get along well with Rogue, and she attributed that to the fact that the girl was just as introverted and 'gloomy' as she was.

She sighed and kicked at the grass before heading up to the mansion. She kept her eyes away from all the happy teenagers and didn't even notice Rogue calling her until the older girl had grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around.

"I did not hear you," she muttered to the southerner.

Rogue shrugged and fell in step with her. "Funny, and here Ah thought ya had enhanced hearin'."

X-23 rolled her eyes. "I do have that, I just wasn't paying attention."

The two girls sat down on the back steps and faced each other. Rogue tucked her hair behind her ears and spoke. "Ya don't seem the type ta have yoah head in the clouds."

"I usually don't," she muttered and played with the buckle on her boot. "There is a lot bothering me."

Rogue perked her eyebrows. "Do ya want ta talk 'bout it?"

She shrugged. "There isn't much to talk about. Except that I believe the Professor is making a big mistake. And we should be fighting. And this virus is probably a very big deal. And Pietro Maximoff knows things he should not know, and I would like to punch him in the face for it."

Rogue's eyes widened. "'kay, X, that's a lot of stuff."

She nodded in agreement. "Yes, it is."

The older girl smiled. "Look, we can't just run into a fight without knowin' what we're gettin' into. Once we do some more searchin' we'll be able ta go in."

"This is all so silly," X-23 growled. "Why doesn't he just use his super helmet to figure out where we need to go?! They have their secret technologies, but they don't even use them."

Rogue burst out laughing. "That super helmet is called Cerebro, and he can find _people_ with it, but not just any old piece of information."

"Whatever," X-23 rolled her eyes.

"And what's this yoah rantin' on about Pietro foah?" she questioned.

"That idiot is stalking me," X-23 grumbled. "He knows things about me that I haven't told him, and he keeps following me around."

Rogue grinned. "Maybe he likes ya."

X-23 frowned and considered that; why on Earth would he like her? They didn't know each other all that well - well, she didn't know him all that well - and they weren't even on the same team. She had never had a boyfriend before, or anything close to it, so she wouldn't be able to see the clues even if she wanted to. The problem was that the guy drove her absolutely crazy! He was annoying and arrogant and he teased her. On the other hand, she thought maybe he was just a little bit decent looking…

"Ya look like yoah havin' a revelation or somethin'," Rogue laughed at her.

X-23 frowned. "No. He does not like me, and I don't like him. He's just trying to knock my focus away from our battles. He's been trained well."

Rogue burst out laughing. "Ah doubt he's been trained at all, X. The idiot bugs people foah fun; sometimes Ah think maybe he _likes_ ta get beat up foah it, too."

"Why would he like to be destroyed?" she questioned. "Does he have healing?"

"Not that Ah know of," Rogue answered. "He doesn't have a healin' factor if that's what ya mean. But foah all Ah know his power may speed that up just a little."

"He must just be stupid then," X-23 declared. "It's the only thing I can think of, or else he would find some different girl to bother. If I really wanted to, I could kill him fifty different ways."

Rogue chuckled. "Ah'm sure ya could.

X-23 nodded proudly. Stupidity had to be the answer; it was the only logical one anyways. There was no way a guy like him would like a girl like her; even if he did, X-23 was sure that what he was doing wasn't exactly the way boys were supposed to get girls' attention. She had seen enough students in the institute who liked each other _that way_, and they certainly weren't mean to each other.

She looked at Rogue. "Maybe next time I see him, I'll push him in traffic."

* * *

"Channel it out, Robert!" Magneto's voice boomed from the observation deck of the danger room. 

Bobby's arm's began to vibrate as he clenched and unclenched his fists in an attempt to channel all of the heat molecules in the room and transform them to ice. Already he had taken on his organic ice form, and already the temperature of the room was hitting dangerous levels. However, Magneto was encouraging Bobby to attempt to create organic ice throughout the danger room as well, and then try and convert its state. The ice covered boy let out a loud grunt as his wrists made cracking noises as they moved. Nearly everything in his line of sight was now crystallized.

"Okay, now I want you to focus on the crystallized matter on the rear deck," Magneto instructed. Bobby turned around, and sure enough a large ledge used for other exercises was completely blanketed in the naturally rare Ice XII phase. It was at its most dense in this phase, and totally surreal looking as opposed to normal sidewalk ice in the winter.

"What do I do with it?" he asked as he focused his energy on the room temperature.

"I want you to turn it to vapor," Magneto ordered.

"How the hell do I do that?" Bobby exclaimed.

"The same way you turn it to liquid, of course," Magneto replied. "You have changed liquid to solid, and solid to liquid, and now I want you to try and convert solid to vapor."

Bobby craned his neck around, causing a loud cracking noise in his ice armor. "I've never even thought of this before!"

"Well now you are," Magneto snapped from the observation deck. "Now quit stalling and focus, Iceman. Your power potential far outweighs any other mutant in this Institute, so your powers are going to be vital in our battles. You must stop worrying, and start accepting your ability."

Bobby rolled his eyes and held his hands out in front of him tiredly. The crystalline ice sparkled beautifully in front of his eyes, just taunting him to destroy his own perfect creation. He had worked so hard to get to the last phase of natural ice formation, and now Magneto wanted him to go even further -- to do things he'd never thought of doing before. He took a large breath and narrowed his eyes in focus. A massive burst of transparent energy escaped his ice covered finger tips and collided with the icy masterpiece on the rear deck.

As part of his mutant ability, Bobby's thermal vision allowed him to see heat and moisture molecules surrounding his target. However, from there he was a little unsure what to do. Normally he would just drop the temperature, however he couldn't just freeze ice more and more -- that wouldn't get him vapor. Heat would be responsible for vapor, and he didn't have the ability to create heat.

"I don't know how to do this!" he yelled through clenched teeth. He was getting increasingly frustrated, and it was making his focus waver.

"Yes you can!" Magneto yelled back over the mic. "Focus on the heat! You need to dispel it!"

"I can't do that!" Bobby finally screamed at him and sent a massive ice spike toward the rear deck, and shattered his target into millions of tiny pieces. Magneto deactivated the Danger Room, and left the observation deck. Bobby glared at his mess and shook his head angrily.

"What was that?!" Magneto yelled when he finally reached the room.

"I did something I knew was actually possible!" Bobby angrily retorted.

"Nonsense! You are acting like a child! I would not ask you to do something if I did not believe you could do it!" the older man angrily bellowed. Bobby was much too tired and irritated to be intimidated by his leader, however.

"What are you talking about? I make ice. Ice and snow. That's it!" Bobby seethed; loud cracking was heard as he moved his body. "I don't create heat, I don't heal, I don't make gas, and I can't fucking turn into a puddle!"

Magneto's face twisted into an extremely angry scowl and he raised his hand up in the air. Bobby watched it with confusion until he realized the man was summoning his metallic powers. Ice covered eyes widened in horror when he saw the long, silvery glimmer of a six foot long pole shooting straight at him. Before he even had the chance to move, it was impaled through his chest, and sent him crashing to the floor.

"Oh god…" Iceman stammered in complete shock. His breathing sped up frantically, and he stared at the older man. "W-what d-d-did you do? H-h-help me!"

Magneto folded his arms and stared at him. "Help yourself. You say you can't do this and that, well then I want to see you prove that to me."

Bobby clenched his eyes closed as his ice covered fists tightened around the pole; such a strange sensation went through his body at that moment. He could feel an intense pressure through his chest, but not an ounce of pain. His fear had initially over taken him, but physically he only felt slightly uncomfortable. Clutching the pole, he summoned moisture molecules to turn the pole into a state of amorphous ice. Once the sheet covered the entire area, Bobby used as much of his strength as he could to shatter the once metal pole. However a large hole remained in his chest, and as soon as he looked at it he nearly passed out.

"I'm going to die!" he yelped frantically.

Magneto rolled his eyes. "Power down."

"No!" he yelled.

"Robert, revert to your human form _now_. That is an order."

Bobby stared at him frantically. He had that angry look on his face again, and looked to be ready to raise his arm again. Bobby swallowed and frowned. "I'll die! I have a hole in my chest!"

"Reabsorb the ice inward, toward your wound."

Bobby stared at his hands and watched as the pink of his fingers appeared, and the sight of his flesh followed as his ice armor moved up his arms, to his shoulders, and down toward his chest. He bit his lip so hard that he could taste blood. When he looked back down, the wound was completely filled in with organic ice, and very slowly, his skin was forming around it.

Bobby laid soaking wet and shaking on the floor of the danger room, only wearing a pair of training shorts. Standing at his feet was an impressed Magneto, without an ounce of sympathy on his face. Bobby glared at him, and attempted to pull himself up. "Are you happy now?! I can't believe you did that!"

"Your training is complete," Magneto stated coldly, and without another word he spun on his heel and left the room, cape swishing behind him. Bobby watched him leave angrily. His hair sat soaked in clumps on his forehead, and his skin was reddened from the armor. He felt like shit, and all Magneto could do was act like a pompous idiot who didn't care what the hell happened to him.

He had just impaled his heart with a metal rod!

Bobby shook his head angrily and stormed out of the room. A group of new recruits were walking down the hall, and stared at his disheveled form.

"_Bobby, y' okay_?" A telepathic intrusion invaded his brain and he spun around to face the culprit; it was Chamber, and he was standing with some other mutants - Siryn, Dazzler, Mercury, and Hellion. Each of them shared concerned looks.

Bobby sighed angrily and turned on his heel. "I'm fine."

"Lorna was looking for you," another voice called. He turned once more and looked to the owned of the voice. It was Siryn, Lorna's room mate. She swallowed. "She's up in the kitchen if ye want t' go talk t' her."

Bobby pursed his lips together and left the students in the hallway staring after him. Normally he would be quite friendly to them, but his mind was stuck on Magneto's sudden abuse of power. He was livid to say the least.

The elevator ride up to the main floor of the institute was silent and thoughtful. His hair was still dripping water into his eyes, and a strange sensation tickled his body as the image of his damaged chest played over and over in his brain. When he stepped out of the elevator, he quickly made his way down the hall to cut through the living room to get to the stairs. However he stopped when he heard voices.

"So I was like thinkin' since your dad totally interrupted our date the other day that we could make up for it today! What do ya say, Lorna dude?"

Bobby felt even more anger boil up in his chest, and despite his lack of dress, he turned around and headed toward the sound of Summers' voice. If he could choose anyone to take his anger out on, it would definitely be that blonde headed dick.

"I never said we had a date," Lorna replied. "Don't take things out of context, Alex."

"But Lorna, you said you wanted to hang out with me," Alex pointed out. "Don't lie."

"Shut the hell up, Summers, and leave her alone," Bobby snapped as he stepped into the room. "Don't act like a retard and maybe people would want to hang out with you."

"Mind your own damn business, Drake!" Alex snapped angrily, and quickly turned away from Lorna to face him.

"You called her a liar!" Bobby glared at him. "I'm not going to sit there and let you talk to her like that!"

"This is between me and her," Alex snapped. "It has nothing to do with you. Me and her have been hanging out, without you, so why don't you, like, back off and stop being such a jealous prick!"

Bobby's anger finally boiled over, and all the emotion that he held back against Magneto formed in a large, icy boxing glove around his fist and he let it connect with the side of Alex's face. The blonde boy fell backwards and crumpled to the floor in a heap. Bobby smiled at his prone form, and stepped forward to hit him again.

"BOBBY!" Lorna's voice distracted him, and he looked at her. The look on her face read anger and confusion. Bobby dropped his hand to his side, and reabsorbed the ice.

"Oh shit, Lorna…"

"What did you do that for?" she looked down at Alex's knocked out body, and then back at Bobby. "Are you insane?"

He shook his hair from his forehead and stared at her. "I'm sorry. It sounded like he was bugging you, so I wanted to shut him up, okay?" he glared angrily. "God, with stupidity like that he deserves to be knocked out."

Lorna gave him an incredulous look. "What has gotten into you? I've never seen you like this before!"

Bobby opened his mouth to protest her, but one more concerned look from those fearful green eyes stopped him from doing so. "Nothing…just forget it." He turned on his heel and stepped away.

She grabbed his elbow roughly. "Don't walk away from me! Something's wrong with you, and I want to know what it is!"

Bobby closed his eyes and sighed. "Just…forget it, Lorna. I'm sorry I got into your business. Now if you'll excuse me, I really need to have a shower and put some clothes on."

She reluctantly let him go. "You've been avoiding me."

"And so have you," he turned around and looked at her. "But obviously you've been keeping busy, so I guess it's better off that way, huh?"

She glared at him and grabbed his bare shoulders; before he even knew what she was going to do, her lips were pressed against his in a hard, moist kiss. His eyes popped open in shock, and he stared at her as she pulled away, stunned.

Her glare returned to her face before she stomped away from him. "You can never take a hint, can you!?"

Bobby stood in the middle of the living room totally shocked before his mind processed that she wasn't even in the room with him anymore. He shook his head to clear his scrambled brain and chuckled. "Whoa."

* * *

"So we're going back to New York?" Tabitha asked for the third time. 

"Yes, now get that medical kit filled up, please!" Lance groaned. Remy had been the lucky one who got to go over the maps and figure out where he wanted to attack from. Lance was stuck with rounding up the troops and getting their equipment back in order. He put Tabby back in charge of the medical kit, and Pietro in charge of getting their uniforms repaired. Wanda's, John's, and Lance's in particular had been thoroughly damaged in the Sentinel explosion.

Todd was helping Remy, Fred was getting a pre-mission snack, John was fixing his flamethrower and Wanda was glaring at him. Lance frowned. "What?"

"How come you didn't give me anything to do?" she folded her arms.

Lance scratched his head. "You can supervise," his eyes fell back to John who was releasing fire into the air. "Better yet, Wanda, keep that guy under control and we're good, okay?"

She rolled her eyes and smacked the pyromaniac when a fire puppy jumped on her boots. Lance sighed and looked to the rest of the group. "We need to be out of here in fifteen minutes, so we need to work faster."

Pietro snorted. "I'm done. Don't ever tell me to speed up."

Lance rolled his eyes and grabbed his uniform, and then tossed John and Wanda's to them as well. "Go get changed now." The two got up reluctantly and grabbed their repaired pieces and left the room. Lance's only piece was his top, so he changed into it right in the living room.

Once John and Wanda returned, Lance stood in the middle of the room. "Alright guys, we gotta make this quick. We're going to be infiltrating a large mansion style building. There will be a lot of guards, so we have to make sure we get in quick, grab our target and get the hell out of there. They have some powerful mutants in there that we don't want to mess with."

"What exactly are we lookin' for, mate?" John piped up.

"A girl," Lance stated.

"You're joking, right?" Wanda snapped. "What the hell do we want with a girl?"

Lance rolled his eyes. "She's being held prisoner and we have to bust her out so that she can help us. She has powers, and Mystique seems to think she should join our team."

"What kind of help could she be if she was dumb enough to get caught and held captive?" Wanda snapped. "I don't want any more people here."

"Well that doesn't matter!" Remy jumped in. "Trust us on this, petite, we could definitely use her. Without her we're gonna get no where with the FOH stuff. So we're gonna bust her out, and treat her like a teammate and ain't no one gonna say anythin' else about it, ya hear?"

Lance looked around, and when no one else spoke up, he continued. "Remy, Pietro, and John are going in after her. The rest of us are gonna be back up."

"Aw man, again?" Fred frowned. "Why do you guys keep putting me there?"

"Because they have psychic protection, that's why," Lance rolled his eyes again; the team really wasn't behaving today. "The guy holding this girl hostage has the ability to mentally possess people, and the last thing we need is someone getting possessed and turning on us."

"Yeah 'cause knowing our luck it would be Wanda, and we'd all get our asses handed to us," Pietro muttered.

"I could do that without help if you like," the witch spat.

Lance heaved a frustrated sigh. "So Gambit will take the guys in to rescue Sage. The rest of us are going to stand by and take out anyone who gets in the way. We actually have to expect an attack this time, so everyone needs to be on their toes. Once she's freed, hopefully she'll be able to help out."

"So what kinda mutants are in this place, yo? You said they were all powerful and shit," Todd questioned as he perched on the back of the couch.

Lance shot Remy a look and then shrugged. "Mystique said there are telepaths, and a guy that absorbs energy. We have to be really careful; this is a big step up from the last mission."

Tabby grinned. "What are we waiting for then? Let's party!"

* * *

(1) - In X-Men: Evolution X-23 did have an adamantium skeleton, but her comic counterpart does not. I decided **not** to give her one because it actually doesn't make sense for her to even have one in the first place. If she was to have an adamantium skeleton at age 12, her growth would've been completely stunted and she wouldn't have been able to grow in the few years between when she got it, and when she showed up on the show (and she did grow quite a bit). It's stupid, so I'm going with the comics here because they actually have brains (for once) and make sense. So therefore, only her claws are laced, and nothing else. 

**A/N**: Up next we have the Brotherhood Vs the Hellfire Club, and a new comic character is introduced. We'll see how well the Brotherhood fares against a whole new group of mutants. So that'll be up next week! Please don't forget to review!


	14. Sage

**A/N**: Here is the mission against the Hellfire Club. I know that some people in the Evo fandom aren't comic readers, so I'll try my best not to sound vague to you guys. I'm not going to get too deep into comic facts because this IS EVO, and not the comics, so I'll do my best to make this my own so you better understand it! So I hope you guys like the action, and feel free to tell me if it sucks. ;)

Also, this might turn out a little gory…and pretty violent. There's also lots of potty language…as in more than I usually put in. Please be aware if you're at all sensitive :)

* * *

**Chapter 14 - Sage**

* * *

"Please do not tell me we have to go in there," Wanda muttered as her team stood in front of a large six story brick building. "Are you sure we have the right address?" 

Lance stared ahead at the building and the neon signs that decorated the windows. From his discussions with Mystique he was under the impression that the building would provide a decoy for what they were really looking for inside its walls, however he was not at all expecting what they found. The dark haired boy sighed and pressed the button on his comm device. "Gambit, are you in position?"

"_Oui; we just found a good area. We're climbin' up now. Security in the rear exterior of the buildin's been disabled_."

"We just arrived at the front entrance," he muttered. "I don't know how the hell we're gonna get inside though."

Gambit laughed. "_D'accord. Now would be a good time to be legal age, non_?"

Lance snorted. "Sure. I'm probably going to have to send Wanda and Tabitha in and find another way in for the rest of us."

"_How do ya figure that'll work, mon ami_?" the Cajun's voice sounded.

Lance sent a weary look to the two girls and sighed. "They never worry about good looking girls getting into these places. Teenage boys on the other hand get thrown out every night."

"Oh no way!" Wanda spat. "There's no way in hell!"

"_C'est vrai_," Remy conceded over the comm link. "_Do what ya have to do, and make sure that y'all keep in touch. Go over the Hellfire files before ya send 'em in, Rocky_."

"Right," Lance muttered. "Let us know when you get inside, Gambit."

"_D'accord_," the older mutant responded. Lance looked up at Wanda and Tab; he really did not want to be the one giving orders at that particular moment.

"I'm sending you guys in," Lance tried to sound as authoritative as possible. "No fighting, and play the part, you got it?"

Tabitha and Wanda regarded each other distastefully. Tabby turned to Lance first. "What do you want us to do, Rocky?"

Lance looked at Blob and Toad, both of whom were watching them in perverse fascination. He glanced back at the two self conscious girls before sighing. "Toad, Blob I want you guys to go back down to that alley on 3rd street. Wait for me there before doing anything, you got it?"

Toad groaned. "But I…wanna make sure they get in alright!"

Lance rolled his eyes. "Get going before I move you myself!" the two boys turned reluctantly, muttering down the street along the way. Lance raked a hand through his hair uncomfortably. "Okay, I just want you to know that anything I ask you to do isn't because I'm a jerk! Just grin and bear with it, alright?"

Tabby folded her arms. "Well spit it out already."

"I need you to…" Lance waved his hand nervously. "Look…well, I need you guys to look…uh, you know…"

"Like tramps?" Wanda spat.

Lance winced. "That's not what I was thinking, but it'll do."

"There's no way in hell…" Wanda trailed off. Tabitha on the other hand took off her sunglasses and let her hair down from its tie. She gave Wanda a reassuring grin as she removed her gloves.

"It's not that bad, who knows maybe we can find some fun in there."

Wanda glared at the other girl and folded her arms. "Fine, but I'm not changing the way I look."

Lance rolled his eyes impatiently. "Just give me your coat, your gloves, and your belts, Wanda."

She glared at him. "No way!"

Tabitha looked at Wanda's uniform and grinned. "Is that a strapless top?" (1)

Lance glared at her. "They aren't going to let you in with that thing on! Trench coats practically scream 'I'm hiding something'. Besides, one look at your chest and they'll let you in."

She stepped toward him. "What did you just say, you asshole?"

Tabby grabbed her arm. "Wanda I'm sorry to inform you, but you have boobs. Boobs are dangerous weapons, and you need to learn how to use them."

Wanda glared dangerously at the sheepish Lance and threw her coat at him. "I hate you, Avalanche. You better sleep with one eye open tonight or else you're gonna find yourself castrated."

"I can't wait," Lance muttered as he took the coat and Wanda's belts. He figured they both showed enough skin with their uniforms that they could get away with entering the club as they were. "Don't act like psychopaths, okay? Just go up to the bouncers, flirt a little, and get yourselves in there."

Tabby snorted. "Can she even flirt?"

Wanda glared at her. "And by flirt do _you_ mean suck dick?"

Lance pulled at his hair in frustration. "I can't even believe I am relying on you two."

Tabby rolled her eyes playfully and grabbed a comm device from Lance's uniform and put it in her pocket. "Settle down, Rocky. We have everything under control. Now anything else we need to know before we head into stripper-mania?"

Lance placed the girls' clothing down at his feet and pulled out the Hellfire folder that Mystique had given him before they left Bayville. He flipped through a few pages until he found what he was looking for. "Don't initiate any fights. If you can, just look around and scope the place out. The whole main floor is just the club. The second floor is VIP, and the third floor and up is where things get a little more interesting." Lance regarded both girls to make sure they were paying attention. "Gambit's team is heading up to the very top of the building. There is a penthouse there, and the guy who runs this place, Bogan, he stays up there. That's where they think Sage is."

"What about these other mutants?" Tabby inquired.

"They could be anywhere, to tell you the truth," Lance bit his lip. "But here are the ones Mystique said we had to pay special attention to." He spread out five photos so they could all see. "They call themselves the inner circle or something. More than likely they won't be in the club, but on the upper floors."

"They dress whacky," Tabby chuckled.

Lance shrugged and glanced distastefully at their 1800's style clothing. "Pretty much. This guy here goes by the name Shaw. Apparently he has the ability to absorb energy and turn it into superhuman strength." Lance pointed to a picture of the only female. "That's Frost; apparently she's a telepath, so make sure you're careful if you run into her."

"Are the others mutants as well?" Wanda asked.

Lance nodded. "I think so, but Mystique didn't have as much info on them. I just have names and pictures; von Roehm, Leland, and Pierce. She said Shaw and Frost were the ones we had to be careful of. So if you see them, make sure you let us know. Hopefully we won't have to fight them."

"But we only fight if they initiate?" Wanda asked.

Lance nodded. "Yeah. The point is for the boys to get Sage out, and us getting way the fuck away from here. You think you guys can handle that?" the girls glanced at each other before nodding. Lance gave them a nod. "Good, I'm gonna meet the boys back in the alley and get in from underground. Keep an eye out for us."

"What if we run into trouble?" Tabby asked as Lance began to turn away.

Lance stared at her. "Gimme a shout and I'll be there as soon as I can."

* * *

Remy held a hand out to John and pulled the pyromaniac up over the side of the building. Pietro was able to run cleanly up the wall without issue, but the two older boys had to climb the old fashion way -- with help from their equipment. Six floors up was a pretty good climb for them, but they had managed to make it up in one piece. Once John was securely on the roof, Pietro spoke. 

"Did Avalanche get a hold of you yet?"

Remy nodded. "Oui. I told him we were in position, but he had to find another way in."

Pietro perked an eyebrow at that. "Oh, why did he call you just for that?"

Remy blinked. "He sent the girls in alone. Him and the boys had to find their own way in so dey didn't cause problems with de bouncers."

Pietro's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. "He sent Wanda and Tabitha into a strip joint? Together?"

Remy snorted. "I know, mon ami. "

"Can we just call this off and go watch that?" John asked with a pleading tone.

Remy rolled his eyes. "Both of you shut up and pay attention, eh? We need to get in and out of here as quick as possible. Ya both can think about de filles when we get home; I don't need y'all jackin' off on me when we got shit to do."

John snorted and walked the few feet toward the skylight. "And what's yer bright idea on gettin' in, Gumbo?"

Remy joined John at the edge of the large skylight and carefully peeked his head over the edge. There was no movement inside the room, but the lights and television set were all on. Remy swallowed and looked toward the two boys. "We know he can't sense us. So we just have to find a way in and surprise him." Pietro joined the two boys at the edge and cocked his head to the side.

"Is that him?"

Remy's red on black eyes followed Pietro's gaze to the left side of the room. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Dark hair, stupid clothes, creepy face…looks like 'im."

The man was seemingly alone and was just sitting down in front of the television set with a glass of wine in hand. Remy backed away from the glass and regarded his teammates. "We only have one shot at dis, mes amies. Raven seems sure that the fille is bein' held here, but so far there's no visual. And if my guess is right, I'm a bet that he's got guards right outside his door. So if we go in, we gotta be damn quiet."

"'Ey mate, can't ya just do that crazy glass melty trick ya can do?" John asked.

Remy nodded. "Sure, but we still have to make a graceful landin', non?"

"I think I can do it," Pietro spoke up.

Remy perked an eyebrow. "What do ya have in mind?"

* * *

Wanda and Tabitha approached the front doors of the club. Tabby had been trying as best she could to coach Wanda, but the Goth was just not hearing it. It was bad enough that she felt so exposed knowing she had to act like a ditzy slut, but being in the company of Meltdown was not helping matters any. 

"Okay, so you just need to act cool, okay? I'll do the talking," Tabitha rambled as they approached the bouncer.

"Like that would change anything anyways," Wanda muttered. She eyed the bouncer; he was a large looking Spanish man. He wore a black t-shirt and a black pair of pants, and probably weighed over two hundred pounds with all the muscle he had. Wanda swallowed and put on her best smile -- which, of course, felt so fake she couldn't stand it.

To the witch's surprise, Tabitha threw an arm around her waist and pulled her in as close as possible. Wanda's entire body stiffened at the contact, but Tabitha practically melted against her. The blonde girl smiled at the bouncer. "Busy night tonight?"

The man cocked an eyebrow. "No more than usual."

"I hope that means packed," Tabby lulled. "I would just hate to come all this way for nothing. My girlfriend and I are from out of town and we were told this place was one of the best in town," Tabitha pulled Wanda closer to her and gave the bouncer a seductive smile.

The bouncer let out a small chuckle. "That depends what kinda entertainment you're lookin' for, chica."

Tabitha ran her finger down Wanda's forearm; the witch had to use all of her will power not to punch the other girl in the face. But Tabby paid no heed to the Goth's awkwardness, and kept up her charade. "Well we just _love_ to dance."

"This ain't no dancin' club, girl. This is more of a watchin' kinda club," the bouncer retorted.

Tabby frowned a little bit. "What if I said I was open to putting on a show? Is this a joining-in kinda club too?"

Wanda's eyes widened in fright at the insinuation, and even more so at the glazed over, contemplative look of the bouncer. In a panic, she did the only thing she could think of to get the guy to let them in. She quickly reached her hand up and hexed the buckles on the right side of Tabitha's shirt and tossed open the blonde's halter top, revealing her bare breasts to the bouncer.

"Jesus, Wanda!" Tabby yelped and replaced the material. The bouncer gave them an amused look and moved to the side.

"Go on ahead, ladies."

Wanda grabbed Tabby by the elbow and dragged her inside as the other girl did up the side of her shirt. "I cannot believe you just did that!" she snapped.

Wanda rolled her eyes. "I guess I was just learning how to use boobs as a weapon."

"Well good for you, use your own next time," she hissed and finished readjusting herself. Wanda let go of her arm and stopped as they entered the main hall of the club. The interior was a lot bigger than she expected it to be. There was a bar located directly to their left, and a stage adjacent to where they stood. The lighting consisted of purple, red, and blue stage lights, and neon beer logo lamps on the walls. The rest of the hall was mainly filled with tables, and most of them were filled with men of varying ages. Waitresses in panties and corsets served alcohol to the tables of the men, and on the main stage two women dressed in only matching thongs danced together.

"I cannot believe he made us come in here!" Wanda hissed at Tabitha.

The girl perked an amused eyebrow at her. "What you never thought about giving it a try?"

"NO!" Wanda had to stop herself from screaming. She could already feel her face heating up.

Tabby laughed at her. "Relax, I'm only kidding." The blonde girl took a look around and pulled Wanda toward the sign that read 'Rest Rooms'.

Once inside, Tabitha checked all of the stalls to ensure that they were alone and grinned at Wanda when she discovered they were. The Goth stared at her angrily. "I don't want to go back out there."

Tabby gave her a puzzled look. "They're only naked girls. It's not like you haven't seen boobs before. Actually, I know for a fact you have. You just need to settle down before you blow our cover! I'm not trying to be a bitch or anything, but if you keep getting all riled up someone will catch on."

Wanda nodded grudgingly. "I just hate crowded places. They make me feel claustrophobic."

"Huh, and here I thought you weren't afraid of anything," Tabby mused to herself. "Look, we shouldn't be here long. We just have to keep an eye open until Gambit gives us a shout. We just need to keep it cool…we're underage remember? If we call any negative attention to ourselves, we can blow the whole thing."

Wanda nodded and watched as Tabby shimmied her pants lower down her hips, and rolled the bottom of her top up so that it rested just under her breasts. If Wanda didn't know her, she would've probably mistaken her for a hooker. Tabby just turned toward the mirror and brushed through her hair with her fingers to loosen it up some more. Her reflection shot Wanda a mischievous smile. "I know it looks bad, but this is a swanky place. A girl can get far places by showing some skin."

Wanda only nodded and kept her eyes on the other girl as she approached her. Tab gave her a contemplative look before rolling up the bottom of Wanda's top a few inches. The witch glared at her. "Nothing else…"

"There!" Tabby cheered as she slid the top down a few inches as well. Wanda's breasts were almost ready to hang right out. The dark haired girl smacked Tabitha.

"Okay, now I look like a slut!"

"That's the point," Tabby laughed. "Just settle down. You have nice boobs, and if you can get people to look at them instead of your face, we should have no problem waltzing right up those stairs, you got it?"

Wanda's face burned with embarrassment, and she scowled. "If I freak out it's going to be your fault."

"Relax, you need to learn how to trust me," she chided as she held the rest room door open for the witch.

Wanda only rolled her eyes and exited the room. "That doesn't sound like a good idea at all."

* * *

Remy watched Pietro closely. "Ya do realize that if I let ya do this, ya might have to take out guards alone?" 

Pietro rolled his eyes. "Have some faith in me, Gumbo."

Remy sighed and reached into his trench coat to remove a long handled hunting knife. "Take this, mon ami. Yer fightin' skills alone won't get ya far against these hommes."

Pietro looked over to the other side of the roof where John was huddled over another skylight. "Just make sure that you get him to set that alarm off, and we shouldn't have a problem."

Remy nodded. "He may be dense sometimes, but he has better control over his power than anyone I know. I trust him."

"I don't," Pietro spat.

Remy rolled his eyes. "Look, we only need him to set off one sprinkler. Sprinkler systems don't work like they do in the movies. Each one is individually sensored, so if one goes off it'll only work as a momentary distraction. As soon as ya get the signal, get yer ass down there and take out Bogan."

Pietro nodded. "You don't need to tell me twice. Shit, Gambit."

Remy placed a hand on the glass and charged it up just enough for it to melt under his finger tips. Once the panel was removed, he turned to Pie. "When I give ya the signal." (2)

Pietro nodded and took his place above the skylight. Remy quickly jogged over to John's position at the next skylight and kneeled down on the ground. "Ya ready, mon ami?"

John nodded. "O' course."

Remy peered over the side of the glass and looked inside; that skylight was located in the hallway just outside the door of Bogan's pad. About seven feet below the glass were the tops of two heads -- which belonged to two large sized guards. They both had visors and mics attached to a piece of head gear, bullet proof vests, and gun holsters on their waists and a thigh each. Remy turned back to John. "We have to do this as quietly as possible. If this sprinkler system is the same as others…"

"Then the head's located exactly three feet to me left," John grinned. "Rem, have some faith! Ya know that I know my fire detection systems! Geez!"

"Just one small fire stream, John. I mean it! As soon as the sprinkler goes off you stop! No gettin' carried away, homme." Remy warned. "They just need ta see a 'malfunction'."

The fire bug snorted and released a small fire ball into the palm of his hand. "Ya act like I have no self restraint."

Remy placed his palm on the cool glass and gave him a deadpanned look. "I'm not even going ta say anything about that." The Cajun shook his head amusedly before silently melting away the glass. He held his breath as the guards beneath him made no move. Remy Lebeau stood up as quietly as possible and nodded at John.

The pyromaniac dropped to his knees and brought the fire ball down a few inches below the ceiling inside. Remy watched him closely as John's tongue poked out the side of his mouth as he concentrated, and it was only about two seconds later when the Aussie quickly pulled his hand back out of the skylight and rolled swiftly out of sight from the guards. Remy grabbed the younger boy by the elbow and heaved him to his feet, and gave Pietro a wave telling him to go.

The silver haired teen nodded his head and jumped to his feet and began to run circles around the sky light above Bogan's room until he was moving fast enough to blow through the entrance unseen. Remy didn't stop jogging until he reached the skylight and listened to Pietro's movements inside. Bogan made a grunt in his struggle, but it only took a few seconds for the 'wind' to die down inside and a thump was heard. Remy ducked his head inside and looked at Pietro who was standing over the fallen body. Smiling at the boy's success, Remy grabbed the edges of the window and lowered himself inside. John followed suit right after.

"Alright, let's hurry up and look through this place," Remy ordered. "Pyro, you take the hallway and any room adjoined to it. Quicksilver, you take the kitchen and bathrooms. I got dis' room and the closets. Be as quiet as possible, and if ya find her -- don't act like yourself, you'll probably just piss her off."

John snorted and turned on his heel to go down the hallway. Pietro wasted no time and sped to his own destinations. Remy began tossing furniture as quietly as possible to find any place big enough for a grown female to be locked up. Everything located in the room looked to be ridiculously expensive, and precisely placed. Remy thought momentarily that this place would be a prized target if he was still doing work with the Thieves Guild. He grunted at the thought and thrusted open a shoe closet and found it empty. Black and red eyes scanned the room until they rested on the large television set. The appliance was set on top of a table with wheels, and in front of a thin entryway. The Cajun man leapt over the sofa and pushed the cart away to reveal a small oak door with a padlock on it. He swallowed back his nervousness and used the end of his bo staff to knock the lock off the wall. When he opened the door, he was surprised at what he saw.

"Merde," he muttered and bent over the girl. "Are ya alright, Sage?"

Bright blue eyes widened at the sight of him. The black haired girl had a dried line of blood down her temple and around the base of her jaw. Her ankles were bound, as well as her wrists behind her back. She wasn't wearing anything but a pair of black panties, and a black bra. She had two long, pointed tattoos under both of her eyes, had a muscular build, and looked pissed to all hell. Her eyes narrowed at him suspiciously. "Who are you?"

Remy bent over and charged up her restraints. "I'm here ta help."

The girl winced when her legs were freed. "Are you insane? Do you have any idea…?"

"SIR!" A loud, sudden knocking sounded from the door of Bogan's penthouse. The guards were back. Remy swallowed and looked at the girl.

"How many of them?"

She blinked. "Usually only two stationed at the door. There are two at the south end of the hall, three at the North, and one at the east stairwell. They are all linked by a communications line, which is intercepted by a security force stationed on the third floor of the building. There are approximately one hundred of them all together."

"Merde," Remy cursed and pulled her to her feet after freeing her arms. She self consciously folded her arms over her bare abdomen in an attempt to cover herself. "Here," Remy muttered and pulled his trench coat off to offer to her. "Can ya fight?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Of course."

"Good," he muttered as the banging increased on the door. "Because we're gonna need ya."

* * *

"Never again, yo," Todd complained to Lance as they hid behind a pillar as a staff member passed them. "I will never look at a sewer the same." 

"That's what I said when I first smelled you," Lance spat at the younger boy. "Now shut the hell up before someone hears you."

Todd rolled his eyes and nudged Fred. "Man, have ya ever seen so many ladies?"

"Um," Fred stammered as another scantily clad woman passed by their hiding place. "I don't think so."

"Oh Christ," Lance groaned. "You guys are like sacks of fucking hormones. Get a grip!"

"Sorry, Lance," Fred blushed.

"Okay, I told the girls to get to the second floor. So we need to make our way up there," Lance looked at Fred. "You have to try and hide as best you can."

The big boy nodded. "I'll try my very best."

Todd hopped onto the wall above them and grinned. "Easy for me, yo."

"Good," Lance breathed and craned his neck to check around the corner. "Alright, when I say go, we make a break for the stairs. There's one guy there Toad, so I want you to slime him on my word, okay?"

"Gotcha," the amphibious mutant answered.

Lance waited for the last staff member to enter the kitchen area before he sent Todd after the security guard. The younger boy clutched to the wall décor as he hopped frantically across the hallway interior. He was only about ten feet away from the guard when the man had finally turned around and noticed him. On cue, a massive wad of dark green slime ejected from Todd's mouth, and Lance and Fred took that as a signal to go. The guard didn't even have time to open his mouth before his entire face was covered in the sticky mucous. The Brotherhood approached the fallen man carefully, and Lance nodded at Blob. "Take him out."

Fred swallowed and picked up the struggling guard, hesitating for only a moment before crushing his neck in his large hand. All three boys winced at the sound, and avoided eye contact with each other as the body slumped.

"Let's go," Lance muttered. He opened the door leading to the stairwell and held it open for his team members, ushering them through. Fred carried the body of the guard and tucked it soundly into a linen closet below the stairs. Lance bit back any regret he felt, and frowned. "Let's get moving. We need to find the girls."

* * *

Tabby and Wanda slid inconspicuously through the crowd of people on the winding staircase. Up until that point no one had asked the girls any questions, although they had received a good number of wolf whistles and cat calls. Tabby got the impression that the attention was clearly unwanted on Wanda's part. Tabitha, however, didn't mind the attention. As long as they looked and didn't touch. 

"How can anyone work in one of these places?" Wanda muttered as they passed by a lap dance.

"It's good money?" Tabby offered. "Besides, for all we know these girls could be part of the Hellfire stuff too."

"Maybe," Wanda conceded as they made their way through a particularly crowded area. Tabitha grabbed the witch's elbow and directed her toward a seemingly emptier hallway, and once they were away from speakers and listening ears, Tabitha took out the comm device. "You there, Rockslide?"

"_Yeah, where are you guys?"_ Lance's voice replied.

"Second floor, west hall,"

"_Good,_" Lance chuckled.

"Why where are…" Tabby stopped as the large metal door at the end of the hallway opened and the faces of the three Brotherhood boys appeared. Tabby smirked at them. "Well talk about convenient."

The boys just stared at them. Wanda growled, and Tabby turned to see the other girl adjusting her clothes. The blonde giggled. "You like what you see, huh? Well, I think we should pay attention to our task at hand."

"What a good observation," Lance muttered and the held the door open. "Let's try and get up to the third floor."

"Wait," Wanda stopped them in their tracks. "Have you heard from the others yet?"

Lance's eyes widened. "Oh…actually, I haven't…in quite awhile now."

Tabby swallowed and thought of Pietro; she hoped nothing bad happened to him. "Like how long? How come you didn't notice?!"

"Because I was trying to get in here!" Lance snapped at her and ushered them into the stairwell. "We can make our way up, I don't want to try and call him if he's sneaking around. I'll give him a couple more minutes."

Wanda growled at him. "They better be okay."

"Since when do you care?" the rock tumbler snapped at her, as he let the door shut behind him. "I'm surprised you aren't happy about them being lost."

"Don't talk to her like that, yo," Toad scolded him.

"Enough! All of you! I'm the one in charge here, so you'll all shut the fuck up and do what I tell you to do, got it?" Lance snapped, which shut them all up. Gambit was usually known as the asshole, and not Lance -- it surprised them.

"Yeah sure; no problem, Lance," Fred mumbled.

Lance said nothing and took off up the stairs in a run. The rest of the team gave each other a few more glances before following him up.

* * *

Pietro, John, Remy, and Sage grouped together behind the door as Bogan's guards continued to bang on the door. 

"Sir, we're coming in! This is your last chance to tell us no!"

Bogan began to stir on the floor, and John nudged Remy's arm. "Do ya want me ta take 'im out, mate?"

"Let me," Sage interrupted and stepped over the man unceremoniously. In one swift movement she grabbed both sides of his head and twisted it hard, snapping his neck in the process. John cringed at the sound, and subconsciously rubbed his neck. The dark haired girl proceeded to pat the man down and removed a small handgun from an ankle holster on his leg. She cocked the weapon and approached the door to the penthouse just as the guards kicked through it.

Instantly, a fight broke out. Remy went after the first man with a series of round house kicks and shots with his bo. Sage used the opportunity to show what she had, and proceeded to spin kick the second guard's gun from his grasp. John shook his head from watching and powered up his flamethrower to surround the last man in a ring of flame so close that his gear began to melt against his flesh. The guard let out a howling scream as the scolding plastic from his head gear caused his skin to bubble. John decreased the intensity of the flame and let the man fall to the floor; he was too shocked to maintain consciousness.

Sage crouched to the floor and spun her leg around to trip her opponent. As soon as his head hit the floor, she leapt on top of him and struck his nose and instantly broke it. Again, she went for his neck while he was distracted and proceeded to fracture it. She stood and wiped a small trickle of blood from her forehead. "We have to go now. The other guards will be heading up here any minute."

"Lead the way," Remy muttered as he knocked his man down. "Ya know this place better than the rest of us."

She gave him a firm nod, and snatched the fallen soldiers' guns before proceeding to the hall. Fortunately it was still clear, and the team was able to make it out of the penthouse. The four teens sprinted to a glass door at the end of the hall. John was amazed at how lavish the interior of the building was; it was a lot classier and expensive looking than what he saw of the club below it. The design was very Victorian -- which matched the attire of all of the building's occupants.

When they reached the glass door, Sage pushed it open and ran for the stairs at the right side of the small foyer. A guard was standing watch at the east side, but the girl didn't even as much as flinch as she raised her gun and shot him in the leg sending the large man to the floor. Strangely, he lost consciousness upon impact with the floor.

"What did you do to him?" Pietro asked curiously.

She only tapped her temple. "Telepathy."

"Well that's convenient," John muttered.

"Stop yer yappin' and get a move on!" Remy scolded from behind him.

John snorted and picked up his pace. Pietro was the first one to reach the stairs and made his way down. John got there next, and was closely followed by both Remy and Sage. By the time the four teens made it to the foyer of the fifth floor, the sound of parading footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs opposite from their direction.

"More guards," Sage muttered.

"Merde!" Remy cursed and pulled open the door that lead to the fifth floor hallways. One by one the team went through the door to lose the guards. Remy watched Sage as they ran. "How many were there?"

She awkwardly shrugged. "About two dozen."

"We should turn around and fight!" he stopped and called to the others.

The girl bit her lip. "If we do that you can expect many more to be here in a matter of minutes. Our best bet is to get out of here immediately."

"There's more o'us, Sheila," John told her. "We can't bail until we get to them."

"We won't get out of here alive if we stop, I can assure you."

* * *

Lance stopped on the foyer of the fourth floor and waited as Fred and Tabitha caught up to them. The rock tumbler was beginning to panic, and he'd be damned if he would tell the others that fact. Mystique had gone over in great detail to him and Remy exactly what kind of people they were dealing with in the Hellfire Club -- people who'd been alive for thousands of years, people who absorbed energy and life forces…people who weren't even made out of flesh and bones. They were known for scandal, murder, even torture in some cases -- like what they did to Sage. What made it worse was that these people secretly just lived amongst everyone else and did all their damage privately. 

He didn't even know what he'd do if he met up with some of the mutants Mystique briefed him on.

"Why'd we stop, yo?" Todd asked from next to him.

"Quiet," Wanda put her fingers to her lips. "You hear that?"

Lance cocked his head to the side in an attempt to listen, but couldn't hear a thing. He lifted his head to look at Wanda, but by then the team was already walking toward the hallway of the fourth floor. Lance frowned. "What the hell are you guys doing? Get back here!"

Three of his teammates - Tabitha, Wanda, and Fred - all walked mechanically through the doors and didn't even give him a second glance. Todd shot him a questioning glance from his place next to him. "Uh, what just happened…?"

"Oh fuck…" Lance groaned. "Something tells me we found that telepath."

Todd grabbed his uniform. "Oh no! What do we do? We gotta get them, but we gotta get help because we can't beat a telepath! And…oh man! What if they try to kill us and they don't even know it's us and we get killed? What do we do? What do we do?"

Lance growled and pushed the boy off of him as he charged toward the hallway and burst through the door. The entire area was silent and empty save for the red plush carpets and the few tables holding expensive vases and statues. There were doors lined on both sides of the hall, but not a single noise emanated anywhere. The rock tumbler swallowed nervously; he was so freaked out that he could feel his heart slamming against the wall of his chest. Todd stood beside him.

"Lance?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we gonna die?"

"I hope not."

"Okay, just makin' sure, yo."

"Right."

"Where did they go?"

Lance's dark eyes scanned the large hallway -- every door, corner, crevice, and window. It wasn't until a familiar orange orb plopped between him and Toad that he really started to panic, and the rock tumbler scrambled to get away from the time bomb before it detonated. Surprisingly enough, Todd not only noticed it, but unleashed his long tongue to grab it and flung it into one of the doors at the end of the hall just as it went off. Both boys flew back to the ground at the impact of the blast, but were unharmed.

Lance turned to Todd. "Good quick thinking."

The boy grinned proudly. "I'm glad now that Gambit kept puttin' me against Tab, yo." (3)

Lance grinned and quickly got to his feet as Wanda, Tabby, and Fred appeared at the end of the hall. Each of them had an eerie white glow in their eyes as they stood almost looking ready to attack.

"Hey whatcha guys doin'?" Todd put his hands on his hips dumbly. Lance groaned.

"Sorry for this guys, but you'll thank me later," as quickly as he could, Lance slammed his foot into the ground and sent a rolling tremor toward the team. Predictably though, Wanda flung her hand out and reversed the power back at him, once again sending the two boys to the floor. "Shit!" Lance cursed.

The rock tumbler yelled out in pain as he was sent back first through a large wooden door. A sickening cracking sound was heard as the lumber exploded at the impact with his body, and the boy soon found himself being showered with splinters and shards as he fell to the ground on the other side.

"Fuck," he muttered. The room that he landed in looked like a ski lodge almost; it had a fire place, a sofa, lounge chairs, and a television set. Thankfully it was empty, but it didn't solve the tiny problem of his teammates being possessed and fighting against him. He'd been victim of one of Wanda's hexes before, but never had she thrown one at him that hard.

As he pulled himself to his feet, the rest of the wall was taken out by another explosion. That time Lance managed to stay standing, and used the smoke as a shield to send out another tremor. The walls in the next two rooms to his right proceeded to collapse as the floor rolled violently under them. For a few seconds the entire area became eerily silent once more, and Avalanche had to wait for the smoke to clear to see the affect that his powers had on the fight.

Just next to where the door to the room used to stand, Tabitha and Todd laid unconscious amongst piles of wood and bricks. Going into leader mode, Lance ran to their sides to make sure they were still breathing. Tabitha was visibly so, but Lance had to double check Todd. The younger mutant had a large laceration on his forehead, and his cheek was swelling quickly. Lance cursed again. "Fuck!"

The rock tumbler ripped a piece of material from the younger boy's uniform top and pressed it against his head. He'd been so concerned with Todd's well being that he nearly forgot that he was in the middle of a battle -- and was now alone.

That is, until he heard a low, inhuman growl come from behind him.

Lance swallowed and slowly turned around. There was still a few small fires burning from the previous explosion, and the dust had yet to settle from the walls he'd taken down -- however that didn't stop him from seeing the glowing eyes and salivating fangs. About fifteen feet away stood the biggest looking dog -- or wolf, maybe -- that he'd ever seen. He didn't even have a chance to get to his feet before the beast lunged at him.

Instinctively, the long haired teen put his hands out to protect himself and caught the brunt of the canine's mouth. A second slower and Lance had no doubt that the beast would've caught his throat. The biggest problem facing him was that his hands were now bleeding and quite possibly fractured. The rock tumbler grunted as he wrestled the giant dog, but it just weighed too much. Lance kicked frantically at the ground trying to summon up enough energy to knock the dog back.

He'd never in his life been happier to see Pietro than he was at that moment.

The speed demon used all the force that came with the g-force of his movement, and sent a long handled hunting knife into the rib cage of the beast at top speed. A loud, high pitched howl was received for the efforts, and thankfully the wolf toppled off of Lance and to the floor. The wounded animal proceeded to change into the shape of a man as Pietro helped Lance up.

"What the hell happened, Alvers?" Pietro snapped at him. "Where's everyone?"

Lance winced at the throbbing mess of his hands. "They're gone…I don't know. They were under some mind control before everything started blowing up." He shook his hair out of his face and nodded at his friend. "Thanks for the help, Pie."

Pietro shot him an indifferent look before smirking. "Whatever. Gambit didn't think I'd be able to use the stupid blade. I just wanted to prove him wrong."

Lance rolled his eyes, and dodged out of the way as a handful of orange colored cards flew by. "Did you find the girl?"

"Yeah," Pietro nodded and dragged him over to a wall at super speed. "Don't worry about that though. Just clean yourself up, you look like shit."

Lance stared down at his hands; they looked like they went through a paper shredder. "Fuck off, Pietro."

* * *

When John and the rest of his squad reached the fourth floor, they were stunned at what they saw. Moments before they were prepared to make an impromptu escape from a fire exit on the fifth floor until they had felt the ground rumble beneath their feet. Sage had informed them that there was a fight going on down below them -- but they weren't expecting what they saw. 

The first thing the Aussie did when the reached the scene was put out the growing fires. As immune to them as he was when they were under control, he knew that the blazes would only serve as a disadvantage to his teammates. And when they had finally located the said mutants, both Toad and Meltdown were unconscious at the entryway, and Avalanche was being mauled by an abnormally large dog. Carpets, ceilings, and wallpaper were scorched, and a massive piles of debris lay on the floor -- which looked as though at one point they were rooms.

However, both Blob and Wanda were unseen. Pietro had stopped to deal with Lance and his furry friend, but John could only think of locating the other two mutants. He hoped to god _she_ was alright.

The Aussie ran blindly through the bellows of smoke; he was used to it -- brown, red, yellow, black, even white smoke -- but never had it seemed so thick and taunting to him. They'd been on the run for good chunk of time by that point and his adrenaline was really starting to fuck with his thought processes. He coughed mercilessly at the burning sensation in his chest as he inhaled the toxic smoke, but kept on going.

And he didn't stop until he reached a massive room at the end of the hall -- and there Wanda stood.

Both fists were clenched at either side of her body and she was missing her trade mark trench coat. An eerie white glow surrounded her usually blue eyes, and her neck was craned so that she was staring right at him.

"Sheila?" John walked toward her slowly. "Are ya alright, love?" the witch didn't even seem to recognize him. He frowned and quickly scanned the room around her; there was so much mess and rubble around them that he couldn't make out if they were alone or not.

Then without warning, a dark shade of blue encircled the girl's hands and she pointed them at him. Blue eyes widened in fear, and the Aussie literally had to dive out of the way to avoid being hit by the hex bolt. Inwardly John cursed at the fact that Pietro had joked about Wanda becoming possessed and kicking all their sorry asses because the pyromaniac was pretty sure it was exactly that happening.

John rolled again frantically to his left as another hex blot was sent at him. He knew that his powers would be futile against the girl; they would just come back at him worse. The only way he could get her down was to take her down physically, and for once he was damn glad that she sucked at hand to hand combat. The orange haired boy ducked behind a large pile of wall and ran full speed around it, keeping himself hidden from her view until she was only feet away. He stopped when he reached the last pile of debris and hid himself from her line of sight. She turned around hexing everything in her path as she looked for him; whatever it was that was controlling her must have been pissed to all hell.

As soon as the witch turned her back the pyromaniac emerged from his hiding spot and lunged at her, knocking her roughly to the ground. A sharp intake of air escaped her lips as her body collided with the floor, and John felt horrible that he had to hurt her. White eyes stared at him angrily, and her hands soon found their way to his throat. Her thumbs pressed down on the centre of his Adam's apple tightly, and John was quickly struggling for air.

"Wanda!" he pleaded through clenched teeth. "Stop it, love! It's me! Don't ya remember?" the Aussie wrapped his larger hands around the girl's wrists and began to pull at them frantically. She turned him over and straddled his hips, and leaned all of her weight into her hold. The pressure in his head was reaching a dangerous level as she tried to choke him out. Of all the times he'd had the pleasure of sparring with her, she'd never shown that much strength before. Both of her hands were strategically placed over his windpipe and pressure points, and he found himself fading quickly.

He couldn't let himself get beat up by a girl! Even if she was incredibly hot and insanely pissed off!

"Sorry," he muttered before bringing his leg up over her shoulder and swung it around to strike the side of her head. It wasn't enough to incapacitate her, but it was enough to get her to let him go. The air came gushing through this throat too quickly though, and he started a coughing fit. John was light headed and dizzy; it was taking him too much needed time to compose himself. As he rolled over onto his side to gain better control over his breathing, a familiar figure caught his eye.

A short, ugly, hunchbacked man stood on the other side of the room wiggling his fingers in Wanda's direction. Through the smoke and dust, Pyro could make out the messy hair do and that cloaked silhouette anywhere.

Jason Wyngarde.

Mastermind was a former Acolyte who served for a few short weeks with the boys before Magneto had been defeated by Apocalypse. The same creepy bugger was the one responsible for fucking around with Wanda's mind the first time -- and now he was doing it again. John looked over his shoulder and saw Wanda stirring on the ground behind him. With a grunt, Pyro pulled himself to his feet and made his way toward the old man. The first time he'd fucked around with the girl John was only allowed to stand back and watch as she was made into mental chop suey.

He was _not_ going to let that happen again.

As soon as the older man saw the pyromaniac stalking after him, his eyes widened and he turned to run. John's reflexes were better though, and he summoned a large amount of energy and activated his flame thrower. A massive ball of orange flame blasted through his palms and shot out at the retreating man. Suddenly all John could feel was an indescribable rage at him -- all Jason had ever done was hurt people and created this fake world around him to better himself, and to fuck over any other person that got in his way. The old bugger had done it to the Acolyte boys a couple of times to keep them 'at bay', but the shit he did to Wanda was enough to make John want to hurt the man more.

Mastermind's pants and trench coat caught fire quickly, and soon the old mutant was rolling around on the floor trying to extinguish the flame. John approached the fallen man angrily. "What the 'ell ya doin' here, mate?"

"Pyro! Please! Help me!" Wyngarde howled as the flames smoldered beneath him.

John swung his leg back and connected it with Jason's face. "I asked ya a question!"

"I'm sorry! If you let me go, you will never see me again! I promise!" he whimpered pathetically at the Aussie's feet.

"I wasn't countin' on it, mate," John muttered before intensifying the heat enough to melt the fabric of the man's clothing to his skin. The Aussie swallowed uneasily as the older mutant screamed for mercy. "I ain't gonna kill ya, but you'll be burned badly enough that you're gonna wish ya were dead, mate."

Without another word, John turned on his heel and left the pathetic man alone on the carpet whimpering like a dog. Just as soon as he'd left the battle it started again as another explosion rocked the room, and the ground shifted dangerously below their feet.

* * *

(1) Wanda's 'grown up' uniform as seen in _Ascension Part 2  
_(2) I've never seen Gambit be able to do this in the comics, but apparently he could in Evo when he busted into Warren's mansion, so whatever.  
(3) Reference to chapter 2 when Toad's upset that he can't win any training fights. 

**Next Chapter**: The conclusion of the Hellfire fight! Who will make it out alright? The Brotherhood is already three members down, and the only inner circle member taken down was one they didn't even plan on seeing there in the first place! Mastermind! Stay tuned!

**A/N**: This was only supposed to be a one chapter mission. Sigh. I fail at short things, I really do. But this almost got to nine thousand words, so I decided to cut it off because there's still quite a bit left, and I didn't want it to drag. I apologize, I really do! Also, I am going to change the rating of this story to M (for obvious reasons), so if you don't already have this story on alert, it might be a good idea to do that just so that you're able to find it easier when it's updated! Also please leave me some feedback; I'm really not that experienced with writing action and fight scenes like this, so _constructive_ critique is VERY much appreciated! So please just give that little button down there a click for me, will you? Thanks for reading and the conclusion to this fight will be up same Friday time, same Friday place next week!


	15. Inner Circle

**A/N**: Wow I almost did not get this up on time this week. I have other stories that I'm working on at my LiveJournal, and I almost got a little too distracted from this (bad me!). But this is my first priority, so I made sure to get it up on time. My school schedule is looking pretty hefty too for the fall, so I'm hoping to get far enough ahead on some chapters so that I can still maintain weekly updates on this come September. I'm crossing my fingers.  
So this is the end of the Hellfire battle. I apologize again for having this a lot longer than I intended it to be. I also upped the rating to **mature** because from this point forward the Brotherhood is going to start getting into a lot more violent situations. So you are warned if you're at all sensitive (although I have to question how many sensitive people got this far…) Anyhow, enjoy please! And thank you again for your wonderful feedback.

* * *

**Chapter 15 - The Inner Circle**

* * *

Pietro let Lance settle against the scorched wall of the hallway and shot him a concerned look; the wolf (who had seemingly transformed into a human state after Pietro had stabbed him) had done a number on the rock tumbler's hands. Pietro knew just from looking at them that he had a couple of broken fingers, and they were both completely smeared in blood. The speed demon swallowed. "Just sit tight, okay?" 

Before Lance could even say a word, Pietro sped over and grabbed Toad, and carried him right back to the team leader. Lance looked at the amphibious mutant and frowned. "I don't know what happened to him…"

"Or Tabby?" Pietro questioned.

Lance shook his head. "No, I…Wanda hexed me through that door over there and then something exploded…and everything went to shit. I found them both like that…"

Pietro didn't even let him finish. He raced back to Tabitha and bent over her fallen body. He frowned and pushed her hair from her face. "Tabs? Are you alright?" her eyelids fluttered a few times before she coughed. Pietro swallowed. "Wake up, come on…"

"Pie?" she mumbled and stared at him.

"Who else is this good looking?" he smirked. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"I…I don't know," she muttered as she sat up, but clutched at her head. "We were standing on the stairs and then I…all I remember is throwing my time bombs at someone trying to attack me…"

Pietro scanned the room to make sure they were out of danger; Remy was assisting a confused Fred, and Sage was firing her gun from next to him at someone the speed demon couldn't see. The man that had shape changed into the wolf was now stirring on the floor, and Pietro knew that he had to fight him off before the rest of the team was in danger again. "Can you sit tight?" he asked her.

She rubbed her temple and nodded. "Yeah, I just need to shake this head ache."

"Good," Pietro squeezed her shoulder before nervously approaching the fallen man. Remy had briefed him quickly on people to look for, and Pietro was able to determine that this man was a member of the Inner Circle; a mutant named Von Roehm who had the abilities of a lycanthrope. The messy haired man was already at a disadvantage since Pietro was able to attack him first with his knife, but now that it was just the two of them Pietro was almost unsure of what to do. Training was one thing, but getting in an actual fight with some rich psycho one on one was a whole new ball game for him. (1)

The man glared at him with dark eyes and held onto his bleeding rib cage. "You'll pay fer that, wichser." (2)

Pietro swallowed and ran at the man full speed, pivoted on his ankle and started a circle around him so fast that he older mutant toppled quickly back to the floor. The g-force was unfelt by Pietro, as his mutation left his body immune to it, but the speed demon could tell by the objects being tossed around them and the wearing of the carpet that a whirlwind had been started successfully. The wolf-like man howled in pain as the impact of the force tore away at his clothing, and even more so at his wound. The speed demon held out his fist, and at top speed, drove it into Von Roehm's nose. Such speed caused the impact to be far greater than a normal punch, and Pietro felt the bone crush under his hand so badly that the man immediately lost consciousness.

The speed demon grinded his feet into the ground to help him stop, and stared at the man before grinning. "Who's paying now, huh buddy?"

"Pietro watch out behind you!" he heard Tabitha scream frantically. The downy haired teen spun around and came face to face with another Victorian styled man -- and this one had metal limbs.

"Oh shit," Pietro muttered.

The blonde haired man gave him an evil grin. "Looks like you are, runt."

* * *

Remy helped Fred to his feet. "Are ya okay, big guy?" 

"Yeah I think so," Fred muttered. "My head hurts though."

"Are ya able to fight still, homme?" Remy questioned.

"Sure," Fred muttered. "I can't remember what happened."

"Don't worry about that now," Sage called from behind Remy and fired her gun off again. "The Inner Circle's here and they're going to keep our hands full."

"Who's that?" Fred shot Remy a confused look.

The Cajun only laughed and charged up three cards. "The girl we came lookin' for, mon ami."

"Right," Fred muttered and clenched his fists. "Sorry, Gambit."

Gambit shot him an amused look before scanning the room. John had run off moments earlier and with the smoke surrounding the room, Remy had no idea what happened to him. Tabitha, Todd, and Lance had all been taken out for the most part so the team was now incredibly short handed. Pietro surprisingly had taken out the first member the Inner Circle to show their face, and by the looks of things they were just getting started.

Remy let his gaze follow the direction of Sage's firing, and noticed three individuals positioned at the far west end of the room. From what Remy could see through the dust and smoke there was a heavy set man, another more muscular gentleman, and a woman. All of which were clad in strange, frilly Victorian era garb. The woman and the fat man were dodging Sage's bullets, but the muscular man stood with his arms across his chest not moving an inch.

Remy guessed that he was Sebastian Shaw.

"How do we beat him?" Remy asked Sage. "He absorbs kinetic energy, petite, and that's my power. I can't do anythin' to him."

Sage eyed him. "You're practically useless against him," she muttered. "However you have mutants on your team that are capable of defeating him."

Remy threw a handful of charged cards at the feet of the fatter man, and looked back at the black haired girl. "Well who?! We need to take him out because he's the threat."

"There's no need to remind me," Sage told him. "My bullets won't do much to stop him either; they might hurt him but eventually he only has to take the energy they produce to convert it and heighten his ability."

"Damn this guy is about as unrealistic as Superman," Remy muttered. The two teammates ducked behind an over turned table and regarded each other. "Ya know 'em better than I do. Do ya have a plan?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Your Blob boy would be best to contest him physically, but I don't think that he has enough strength to effectively remove him from the fight. The best way to go about it is to overload him on energy -- he can only absorb so much before his body would put him into a catatonic state."

"So ya think I can overload him?" Remy asked her.

She shook her head. "Only if you could charge him up."

"Merde," Remy muttered. "I can only charge inorganic objects."

"You'll need the girl with the hexing powers, and the fire controller too. With their powers combined they could do it. Shaw isn't immune to flame." Sage explained to him.

"Right," Remy mumbled. "If we could find the two of 'em that would be great."

Sage didn't respond to that. "Leland will be easy to take out. His weight makes him a bad fighter and all his power can do is increase the mass of an object or person. Send your Blob boy to take him out and make sure he stays close to him at all times so that Leland can't send him through the floor," Sage directed. "You should go after Pierce; he's a cyborg and his limbs are made of synthetic metals that your power would be able to destroy easily. I'd be better off going against Frost because she's a telepath."

"Right," Remy agreed. "Ya sure are handy."

She stared at him before standing from her spot. "So I've been told." The girl didn't even give him a backward glance as she took off in a run toward the White Queen. She didn't even bother to worry about her bare feet running along the debris covered floor either. Remy swallowed and turned to Fred.

"Blob," he called.

"Yes," Fred answered.

"See that chubby homme over there?" Remy pointed to the fat man trying to catch his breath.

"Yeah?"

"He's yours," Remy directed. "Keep 'im close and make sure ya knock him out as fast as ya can. Don't stray from him at all, ya understand? He can make ya even heavier than ya already are and we don't need ya fallin' through the floor. If ya stay close enough he can't do that or he'd be goin' for a ride wit' ya."

"Got it," Fred nodded before running off toward the man. It always amazed Remy how agile and energetic Freddy was for such a big guy. With Sage and Blob sent off to fight their targets, so Remy scanned the room for his. Donald Pierce was a tall, blonde cyborg and probably their biggest physical threat after Shaw. His black and red eyes locked onto a figure near the entrance of the hall. Pietro was the only member of the team in that area in any condition to fight, and that also put the injured team members over there at risk. Remy pulled a couple of cards out of his uniform pants and charged them up before heading over to aid his team.

* * *

Sage glared at the blonde haired woman who kept rolling herself out of the line of fire. Emma Frost, the sniveling slut, had been the one responsible for her capture. And since Emma's only active mutation was telepathy, the only thing the blonde could do against Sage was fight her hand to hand -- or in this case, hand to gun -- since Sage's powers kept her immune to psionic attacks. Sage knew full well that Emma had secondary latent mutations that could activate during a time of extreme physical distress, but the black haired girl figured she could easily keep them at bay. (3) 

The last round of ammunition rang out of her gun and blew a hole through the side of Emma's flowing white cape. The woman screamed at the close call of the shot, and sent Sage a wide eyed glare. "What on Earth are _you_ doing here, Tessa?"

Sage reached into Gambit's trench coat and pulled out another firearm that she'd taken from Bogan's guards. "Surprised to see me so soon?"

"Is this the team that you _really_ belong to?" The White Queen spat. "You traitor!"

Sage approached her and pressed the barrel of the gun into her forehead. "No and you know that; don't ask stupid questions, Emma, because I have no time for your drama."

Emma frowned and attempted to kick Sage in abdomen. The black haired girl had uncanny reflexes, however, and was easily able to dodge the attempt. The White Queen used the distraction as an opportunity to knock the gun from Sage's hands, sending it clattering across the floor. The mercenary glared at the White Queen. "Is that the way you want to fight?"

"Bring it on, bitch!" Emma called her on.

Sage shook her head amusedly. "Be careful what you wish for."

The White Queen raised her arm in the air and threw a fist at Sage's face. She was quickly able to dodge it by bending backwards, and during which was able to clamp a vice like grip on the blonde's wrist. Sage twisted the limb with both of her arms, and spun around to hold it behind Emma's back. The blonde let out a pained cry and attempted to reverse the hold. Sensing the move, Tessa placed one hand firmly on the back of Emma's gloved elbow and the other clutched her wrist. In one swift motion, Sage forced the wrist up toward her shoulder and succeeded in snapping both the radius and ulna bones in Emma's arm when she resisted the movement with the hand on her elbow. The woman fell to the floor on her knees sobbing.

The mercenary walked around Emma's body so that she was standing in front of her, and grabbed a fistful of bleached blonde hair. Emma had tears flowing openly down her face from the pain, and she gave Sage a death glare before throwing her strong hand around the merc's throat. "You'll pay for that, bitch."

Sage winced at the grip, but managed to shake her head. "You should've known better than to try."

Part of the dark haired girl's mutation allowed her mind to be in complete and rapid control of all of her motor skills; any movement or reflex that she had or made was in precise control. Easily Sage was able to remove herself from the woman's grasp, and in the blink of an eye she was crouched on the floor and spinning her leg out in a sweeping fashion, taking Emma's feet out from under her. The blonde fell swiftly to the floor and landed hard on her back. She didn't even have time to register her movements before Sage was perched on top of her abdomen.

"Did you know there are dozens of pressure points located in your body that, when struck, can cause involuntary erratic movements or brain functions?" Sage leaned close to the blonde's face and spat.

The woman just glared at her; her eyes still wet with pain. "What's your point?"

Sage let a merciless smile stretch across her face. "The baroreceptor in the carotid artery, when struck, can cause black outs, brain damage, cardiac arrest, or in some cases death," she snapped as she wound her arm back and chopped the White Queen hard in the side of the neck. The blonde didn't even get a chance to retort before her head rolled back against the floor. There was still a steady rise and fall of her chest, but her level of consciousness was completely gone.

Sage stood from her spot and glared at the woman who'd been responsible for her captivity. Emma had always been jealous of Sage's abilities, and Tessa was more than happy to finally show her exactly what she had up her sleeve. Now Emma lay unresponsive on the floor looking like the rat that she was.

"Tessa, Tessa, Tessa," Sage heard a deep voice from behind her. She turned around, knowing exactly who it was.

"Shaw," she spat and faced the man she'd previously been 'employed' by.

"You didn't think you would be getting out of here alive, now did you?" he walked toward her with a scolding look on his face. "I would like to see you try those tricks on me."

The black haired girl swallowed and reached into the pocket of Remy's trench coat to retrieve another handgun. She cocked it and held it out, pointing it right in the middle of his forehead.

* * *

Lance watched in horror as Donald Pierce leapt at Pietro at a speed that could almost match his. Pietro was still faster however, and was able to duck out of the man's reach. Tabitha was still trying to pull herself together from Lance's left, and Toad was still unconscious next to him on the floor. Although Quicksilver was fast, his abilities were not going to help him against a man who also had superhuman speed _and_ strength. The rock tumbler, without putting any strain on his damaged hands, clambered to his feet and slammed his foot into the ground summoning as much energy as possible to send a rolling tremor right to the cyborg's feet. The man couldn't move fast enough, and fell on his back as a result. 

Pietro was at Lance's side in an instant. "That guy's a freak."

"Quite," Lance agreed and cradled his hands. "You look like you needed a hand."

Pietro rolled his eyes, but Lance could see the relief in them. "Like you have one to lend."

Pierce quickly got back to his feet and glared at the two boys. "Your silly powers won't do a thing against me!" he laughed and approached them. Once again, Lance lifted his leg to send out a ranged attack, but Pierce was quick to realize his move. At top speed the cyborg lunged at Lance and speared him roughly in the abdomen, knocking the wind right out of him. Donald Pierce was a heavy man with all of the metal in his body, and the force of his hit sent Lance spine first into the scorched wall he'd been leaning on earlier. The impact sent waves of pain shooting through his body; the same area of his body had connected with a door earlier when Wanda had hexed him, so again it was being punished with an even fiercer blow. The wall was also a much different structure than the door was; behind the thin sheet of drywall that he easily cracked through was pure cement.

The rock tumbler felt like he could no longer feel his spine.

"Lance!" he heard both Tabby and Pietro shriek.

Pierce removed his shoulder from Lance's abdomen and stood straight so that he was staring the long haired teen in the face. "Ya shouldn't have tried that on me again, punk."

Lance was still frantically trying to catch his breath. The pain caused his knees to buckle from under him, and he slid down the wall -- feeling every scrape and cut as he did so -- and fell in a heap to the floor. Not only had he lost the use of his hands, Lance Alvers could barely breathe or move anything from his chest down either. His dark eyes rolled upward just in time to catch Pietro's concerned look. The cyborg behind his friend grinned evilly at Lance.

"Can't do a damn thing now can ya!" he laughed and lunged at Pietro, just fast enough to grab the collar of his uniform. Pietro kicked his legs so fast that they looked only like white blurs, but it did nothing to loosen Donald's grip. The blonde haired man grabbed Pietro's chin, and then proceeded to hold the teen's head in a tight grip. "I hope ya won't miss your head, boy. Don't worry though; I can break your neck so fast that you won't even feel a thing!"

Lance saw the horrified shine in the speed demon's eyes, and the long haired teen could do nothing but pant on the floor. Pierce laughed evilly in Pietro's face.

"Say good-bye!"

"I don't think so," another voice was heard, and Lance followed the sound to Tabitha. She was standing shakily and holding out a hand. Slower than she'd usually move, she wound her arm back and threw a handful of time bombs around the feet of the cyborg and Pietro. Tabitha winced at the impact of the explosion, as did Lance, and the three of them -- Pietro, Pierce, and Tabby -- were all sent to the floor. Pietro quickly got to his feet, albeit shakily and wounded, and sped toward Meltdown, just in time for Remy to show up.

"Ya have fun pickin' on people smaller than ya, galette?" the Cajun whipped out four cards and charged them up as he stared down the fallen man. (4)

Pierce just smirked as he stood. "What are you going to do, faggot? Hit me with a couple of playing cards?"

Remy smirked before unloading a fist full of glowing orange missiles at the man's left arm, successfully blowing the metal from the elbow down into a million pieces. Pierce screamed and grabbed at his arm frantically. "You asshole! That was my arm!"

"Mon sincerest apologies, mon ami," Remy mocked. "Let me make up for it, non?" The Cajun extended his bo staff and propelled himself at the bigger, and now armless, man and landed a high impact dropkick to his chest. Lance was just able to drag his head up high enough to watch the fight…and then caught Tabitha loading up Pietro's hands with time bombs out of the corner of his eye.

As the two Brotherhood members planned the bomb attack, Remy took a hard, metal punch to the face that caused him to falter on his feet. Pierce used the distraction to his advantage and landed another punch to the side of Remy's head, causing the Cajun to fall to the floor on his stomach. Pierce laughed at Remy's plight and wound back and connected a hard kick to Remy's side, causing him to let out a loud grunt.

Lance once more raised his arm and clawed at the carpet in an attempt to drag himself up to help his friend. Unfortunately for him though, the pain in his chest and back was too much to handle, and the rock tumbler kept collapsing back to the floor. Pierce continuously reared back and slammed his metallic foot into Remy's body -- so hard that Lance saw a giant gob a bright red blood shoot through Gambit's lips and out his mouth. "Rem…" Lance mumbled as he tried one more time to slam his fist to the floor. That time there was just enough energy to hit Pierce with a tremor, and it caused him to lose his footing and fall to the floor and away from Remy. The Cajun rolled onto his side and groaned, clutching his side as he attempted -- albeit slowly -- to get to his feet. Thankfully just before Pierce could get anymore angry, Pietro flew by in a blur and sped in circles around the cyborg's body. He was moving so fast that Lance couldn't tell exactly what it was he was doing, but as soon as Quicksilver was gone Lance found out.

A large explosion rocked the cyborg's body as his entire shirt full of Tabby's time bombs went off. All of the expensive looking Victorian clothes were in tatters and smoking from small flames. Donald's good hand had been blown from his cybernetic wrist joint, as well as his right leg from the middle of the thigh and down. Half the skin from his face was missing too, revealing to them a shiny metal skull.

"You fucking brats!" he hissed and tried to squirm his way around on the floor. Remy got to his feet and hobbled over to the man, and pushed his bo right into the cyborg's throat.

"Thanks for the spar, mon ami, but this ends now." Gambit pressed down on one of the smaller areas of his bo and dispelled a dark green gas in the man's face long enough for him to pass out. As soon as the blonde's head rolled to the side, Remy fell backwards clutching his ribs. His red and black eyes moved along the members of the team. "Are y'all okay, mes amies?"

"I'm fine," Pietro grunted as he hauled Tabitha back up to her feet. "How many more of these idiots are there?"

"We need to find Pyro and Scarlet," Remy said through clenched teeth. The red eyed man looked to Lance before hobbling over to him. "Merde, Avalanche. Fils de putain, are ya okay?" (5)

Lance could barely find the energy to nod. "I'll live."

"Speedy, he's bleedin' real bad…" Remy muttered. _What?_ The only place Lance knew was cut open were his hands…but they weren't threatening his life or anything. The rock tumbler tried to focus on Remy's face; the Cajun was checking him over for injuries. "Merde! He's bad!" Remy called again.

Pietro sped over, and Lance was able to catch sight of his face; even he looked concerned, which was never a good sign. The speed demon stared at him. "Fuck, Lance you never should've pulled that shit…"

"Meltdown!" Remy called. "Get into that med kit on Toad and patch these two up the best you can! Me an' Quicksilver have ta go find Pyro and Scarlet so we can get the hell outta here, ya hear?"

"Sure thing, gumbo," Tabitha replied before hobbling over and kneeling at Lance's side.

Remy appeared in Lance's line of sight again. "We be outta here soon, Rocky. Ya hold tight, ya hear?" Lance managed a nod before Remy spoke again. "Ya'll be alright. We need to just grab de others…we'll be back!"

* * *

John ran back to Wanda's side. He'd been able to take out Mastermind easily, but from the sounds of the guns and explosions going off around the hall, it seemed as though the rest of the team was running into quite a bit of trouble. The Aussie swallowed hard and collapsed to the floor next to the witch's body. He placed both hands around her shoulders and pulled her up against him. "Wanda?" 

"Who the fuck hit me?" she mumbled and rubbed her head gingerly.

John bit his lip. "Are ya okay, love? Can ya get up?"

She blinked a few times before finally looking up at him; he could tell by the look on her face that she was not only pissed off as hell, but was incredibly confused. "What happened?"

John wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her gently to her feet. "Some crazy telepath got a hold of ya."

"Where is the fucker?!" she spat and pulled herself away from him. "I'll hex his ass to China for fucking with my head!"

John shrugged. "I turned 'im into campfire marshmallow! But we have to go back and fight some more people."

She stared at him a few seconds before speaking. "What happened to your throat?"

John fingered the said piece of flesh gingerly before grabbing the witch's hand and turning to pull her in the direction of the rest of the team. "Never mind."

"Whatever," Wanda muttered before pulling her hand away and jogged next to him. "This place got totaled…"

"Yer tellin' me," John muttered and powered up his flame thrower. He maneuvered his way around a pile of debris just in time to bump into a rather large body. Said body was so large that the small collision easily knocked the Aussie to the floor.

"Whoa, are you okay!" a concerned voice rang out.

"What are you doing, Blob?" Wanda snapped. "You're not supposed to be wandering around like a lost idiot when shit is exploding."

"I'm not," Fred replied as he gave John a hand up. "Gambit sent me to fight someone, and I knocked him out. I was just trying to find everyone else to see if it's safe to leave."

"Well we don't even know," Wanda snapped in an annoyed tone. "I don't even know what the hell is going on, and this idiot is pretty much not even telling me."

John grinned at the fact she was back to herself again; he was just so relieved that he hadn't hurt her too badly when he had kicked her. "I wouldn't want to frighten ya, Sheila." He laughed madly at her evil glare of doom. "Now let's get back to the tardis and have some fun, shall we? It'll be fantastic!" (6)

Wanda rolled her eyes and stormed past him. "Now isn't the time for stupid jokes."

John grinned at her. "Yer just mad because I saved ya _again_." She didn't turn around to acknowledge such a claim -- just as he suspected she wouldn't, so he and Fred jogged to catch up with the retreating Witch. Once they made it past another three massive piles of debris, they were able to see people.

Sage stood with her gun pointed to the head of a large man dressed like Jack the Ripper or something equally as strange. The man, who John recognized as Shaw, had almost an entire foot of height over Tessa, and did not appear to be the least bit frightened. John was about to open his mouth and say something, but was cut off by the loud roar of the woman's gun going off in Shaw's face. John winced at the sight, but was astonished that the man only jerked back in response -- and was able to remain on his feet. And just as quickly as Sage was able to shoot him, Shaw reached a large hand out and grasped the gun she'd been holding and crushed it between his fingers like it was a bug.

"Holy shit," John mumbled.

"We have to help her," Wanda growled. "Whatever power he has, I can reverse it."

John stared at her. "Are ya sure?"

Her gaze finally softened when she looked at him. "Yes."

He nodded and powered up his flame thrower. "Ya lead the way, love, and I'll follow ya."

Wanda ran quickly at Shaw just as he grabbed Sage by the wrist and threw her roughly to the floor. Just as he was about to slam his massive foot down on her, he was enveloped in a dark blue glow and was unable to move. A confused look passed over the man's face, and he stepped away from the black haired merc on the floor. He stared at Wanda angrily and shouted. "Your power won't work on me, girl!"

John swallowed and stared at Wanda. "Yer gonna have to hex him again!"

Wanda nodded and sent a steady stream of dark blue power at the man, and let it flow continuously from her fingers. Slowly but surely Shaw was absorbing the energy from her blasts, and began to step toward the small group of Brotherhood members. Wanda's face contorted into a pained grimace. "I feel like he's sucking power right out of me!"

"Just hold 'im steady, love!" John encouraged her, and shot a fireball into his hands. "If any of us is powerful enuff to beat 'im, it's ya, Sheila."

"Pyro!" John turned slowly to see Remy and Pietro hobbling over to the group. "Burn 'im, John! The guy isn't immune to flame!" And just as quickly as Remy hobbled over, he began charging up cards and throwing them at Shaw. "If the homme is overloaded wit' energy, we can beat 'im!"

John blinked. "Ya want me to kill 'im, mate?"

Remy winced at the power he was expelling. "They already took out Avalanche, Toad, and Meltdown! If ya don't use yer flames, homme, we be done for!"

"He's right!" Sage called as she rolled out of harm's way and retreated back to the Brotherhood. "You're the only one with an elemental power that can beat him."

John swallowed and looked back at Wanda; there was already a glistening sweat formed across her forehead at the amount of energy she was expelling to hold the massive man in place so that he couldn't use his powers. Her teeth were clenched together tightly, and for the second time before his eyes that night she was in pain. Without another thought the orange haired teen squeezed his eyes shut and fired the guns of his flamethrower at the ground under the Shaw's feet. As soon as the carpet was able to catch a good enough glow, John stopped the stream of flame and focused his power on intensifying the heat. With mere gestures of the pyromaniac's hands, the color the flame steadily went from a deep orange to a slight blue, and then he upped it so rapidly that the flame was nearly glowing white. John reveled at the energy release, and snapped his eyelids open as he controlled the fire around the screaming man. The flames mesmerized him; up until that point he'd never been able to create _that_ much intensity -- and in a perverse way he enjoyed the look of it.

And he continued to intensify it as much as he could until the man finally fell to the floor unconscious, and the floor collapsed underneath of him from the heat. John released his hold on the flame and snapped out of his trance -- his eyes never left the hole in the floor.

"Pyro, are ya alright, homme?" Remy asked him.

Had he killed him? In a small, strange way, John hoped that he hadn't. He'd used his powers in the past for bad things -- and yes, he'd hurt people before -- but never did he want to be responsible for the death of anyone. It wasn't something that talked about with his teammates, nor was it something that he even liked to think about to himself. As mesmerizing and beautiful as his powers could be, the last thing John wanted to do was murder someone with them.

"John?" Wanda's voice caught him out of his trance.

The Aussie finally turned his head to look at his friends; Remy, Sage, and Pietro were all watching him and waiting for his response. John just forced and smile. "Of course, mate! Did ya see all that fire?"

Wanda shot him a concerned look before shaking her head at him.

* * *

Remy ushered the team together as they gathered around their fallen members at the entrance. Lance had lost consciousness sometime during their fight with Shaw, and Todd had yet to wake up. Tabitha was able to bandage some of their wounds, but she still didn't look very well. Remy was almost certain by just looking at her pupils that she had a concussion. The Cajun frowned and turned to Sage. "How much longer do we have until more guards are up here, petite?" 

The girl paused before blinking. "The two main stairwells are most likely too blocked with debris for anyone to get up or down. I would imagine that they are trying to get in, and I know for a fact that there are C4 explosives in the building they can use to gain access. We need to get out of here now."

Remy turned to the rest of the team. "You heard her, amies. Quicksilver, I want ya to get Tabs outta here; I don't trust her to get outta here alone." The silver haired teen nodded before cradling the girl in his arms.

Sage pointed to the southwest corner of the building. "Go to the window with the large, black metallic frame. That's a fire escape that will let you out into 3rd Street."

Remy nodded at him. "Go on, homme." He looked at Fred. "Blob ya take Avalanche and Toad. Can ya handle that?" The bigger boy nodded and gently placed both fallen boys over his shoulders. Remy turned to the remaining three. "Let's go."

He waited until they had all began heading over to the window before charging up a handful of cards and destroying the remainder of the hall entrance behind them to give them some extra time. All that was left of the fourth floor corridor were piles of two by fours, drywall, and shards of glass and ceramic from the hall décor. All of the plush red and yellow design was now scorched black and brown. Lights were sparking dangerously above their heads, and the building's sprinkler system was activated in a few random places. Yet again they had managed to completely demolish their mission target head quarters, and Remy wasn't particularly sure if that was a good thing or not. He hoped that the New York sanction of the Hellfire Club was going to be inactive for quite some time because he sure as hell didn't want to be on their revenge list any time soon.

The Cajun sighed and ran full speed at the window just as John was climbing through; he was the last one left. With the swiftness and speed that came with years and years of training with the Thieves Guild, Remy slipped out the window and descended down the steel steps of the fire escape until he reached the dirty sidewalk of the street. The end of 3rd Street was no more than a rundown, dead end alleyway that fronted a large field area by the waterfront. Remy had parked the jet as close to a closed down construction area as he could.

Once the Brotherhood was off the street and running through the long grasses of the field, Sage had stopped. Remy glared at her and turned around. "Wait a second, where do ya think yer goin', petite?"

"Thanks for getting me out," she nodded at him. "But I've got other people I have to deal with still."

Remy grabbed her elbow and shook his head. "I think ya'd be more interested in what we've got ta offer ya."

"I don't do team work," she stated. Remy eyed Wanda and John as they stopped to listen to the exchange; the two of them looked almost angry at the girl's reaction. She eyed the Cajun up. "Thanks for everything, really…"

"Ya got my coat," Remy folded his arms. "An' I for one don't give up dat thin' if my life depended on it. And I sure as hell ain't gonna let no belle fille walk around NYC half naked."

Sage glared at him. "How tactful of you."

"Our leader sent us here for de sole purpose of breakin' ya out. We've got a place for ya ta stay, room for ya ta train, and food for ya ta eat." Remy straightened his stance and watched her. "She also got a contract for ya, and access to someone who ya might have some interest in seein'."

"Who's your leader?" the girl asked with a suspicious look.

"She go by Mystique," Remy explained. "She be a shape shifter and she was spyin' on de Hellfire Club for months -- dat's how we knew where ya were."

"And who is this person you think I would have interest in?" she questioned.

"Charles Xavier," Remy stated.

A flash of something shone in the girl's eyes, but her facial expression never gave her away. Reluctantly, Sage nodded her head and trudged toward the direction of the jet. "Then let's go."

* * *

(1) Friedrich von Roehm was part of the Hellfire Club post-Dark Phoenix era as the Black Rook. He's not as werewolf-like as someone like Wolfsbane (Ew, I hate saying that name), but rather his powers are hereditary and activated by the Black Queen, Selene. But since Selene didn't show up here, I made a slight tweak with his powers to make them less complicated for Evo verse.  
(2) German for wanker or jack-off.  
(3) Reference to Emma's diamond form and her latent TK in the comics.  
(4) Galette is Cajun slang for the word 'pussy'  
(5) More Cajun slang for 'son of a bitch'  
(6) Dear god, someone shoot me for making Doctor Who references (falls over laughing) IT'S ALL LONERAVEN'S FAULT.

**Next Chapter**: John and Wanda have a long awaited talk; Bobby faces the consequences of his actions after blowing up at Magneto and Alex; Sage gets settled in the boarding house; lots of Pietro action involving X-23 AND Lorna!

**A/N**: So there you have it. Another Brotherhood mission in the books! The focus will be switched back to the FOH from here on out. Also, this mission kind of messed up my plans just a bit due to the length, so now instead of the 32 chapters this was supposed to be, there is a very good chance that will be a lot longer. So that's it for this week, I hope that you enjoyed and please don't forget to drop me a line!


	16. Cause and Effect

**A/N**: This chapter is jam packed; **double** the length of my usual chapters. I'm really sorry that it was late, so I hope this (especially the length) makes up for it.

Also, I want to acknowledge the fact that people on here love romance. Yes, I'm well aware of that, and I know pretty much every person who reads this is looking for stuff from a particular pairing…and you all love _different_ pairings (just my luck). Please keep in mind that I do have a BIG cast and a BIG plot, so romance can't be _everything_. My number one concern is character development, keeping people IC, and keeping the plot moving. Certain pairings are going to get more time than others because it's more logical and realistic that they do. For example, PolarIce and Jonda are on the same team, so it's A LOT easier for me to pull off. But the others, like Romy and Lancitty, come when the plot _allows_ them to. There are priorities with the pairings (especially with the ones that involve more of the plot), and some are going to get a lot more time than others, unfortunately. I'm trying to keep everyone happy, believe me, I _try_. So please, please be patient with me. I do appreciate all of your feedback otherwise :)

Lastly, this chapter is dedicated to **Loneraven** for sharing BobbyLand love with me. XD _X-Men First Class_ is the shit.

* * *

**Chapter 16 - Cause and Effect**

* * *

Bobby Drake paused in front of the large oak door nervously. Xavier was a telepath, and probably knew just as well that he was standing there, but that didn't stop him. His actions over the past two days were out of line, and he knew that his leaders were beyond pissed off at him. Magneto had not spoken a word to him since the incident in the danger room the previous day, and he hadn't seen Xavier since the incident with Alex. It turned out that the surfer boy was in pretty rough shape due to Bobby's hit; a hard smack with organic ice to the side of the head would do that to a person, he supposed. Although he didn't feel _that_ guilty about it -- and that thought worried him somewhat. 

He was not at all a violent person by nature. Hell no, Bobby Drake was known as being one of the fun loving pranksters of the Institute. In fact, dare he say, he was one of the more popular members of the household. He had a lot of friends -- which included a large number of the new recruits -- so in a lot of ways he was to set an example. Bobby, _socially_, was a leader and not a follower, so in a sense a lot of his friends paid particular attention to the things that he did. But of course when it came to being a member of the X-Men, things were just a little bit different.

He was not at all a leader when it came to field and battle work. His teammates, particularly people like Rogue and Kitty, were a lot more experienced and level headed in a fight. Bobby only did what was expected of him; he had no desire to take initiative in a situation where people could get hurt. Hell, if he really wanted to, all he had to do was level everything in sight with cold energy and kill everyone and everything around him to end it. He had the power to do such things.

But he would _never_ pull such a stunt. He had no will or desire at all to use his powers in such a way on anyone.

Which was why his situation and training with Magneto was so unsettling to Bobby. He loved to use his powers, and he loved to help people. That was where he drew the line. He did not see the sense in hurting people or using violence or brute force with his abilities. That was just not who he was. Magneto wanted him to become a wrecking ball of unstoppable force -- to explore an awesome power potential that put him well above any of his peers. The type of powers that Bobby had seemed almost strange and silly compared to what some of the others wielded, but when it came right down to it he was a one man army of raw elemental force that even Ororo couldn't match up to.

Healing, invulnerability, freezing, manipulation, change of state at the flick of a wrist -- he was able to do it all if he'd just put his mind to it. To some people -- like Magneto, for example -- a power limit like that could be used for all sorts of gain and control. Mutants like Apocalypse were so powerful that they used their power to throw around their weight in a fit of dominance.

But Bobby Drake wasn't that mutant.

To hold that much power in his hands scared him. It scared him so much that something as simple as a snowball formed at his finger tips brought a certain degree of uncertainty to his stomach. And ever since Magneto had taken Bobby under his tutelage to fight for the cause, everything had changed. The fun loving, joke cracking, social bird had not been himself. Instead, Bobby found himself snapping under pressure, showing up late at the Danger Room, zoning out during briefings, and showing a total lack of respect to his leader. All the years he'd spent as a new recruit trying to nose his way onto the main roster seemed so silly to him now. He'd gotten where he wanted to be, yet he was not at all happy with it.

And he was pretty sure that his benefactor, and teacher, was all too aware of that fact.

Which was why Bobby presumed he'd been called down to Xavier's office for a meeting. The previous day his outrageous behavior had seen him stabbed in the heart with a metal pole and flying completely off the handle -- he'd taken it so far that another member of the team had been sent down to the infirmary with a serious concussion. His actions were going to have some sort of repercussion, this he was sure of. As far as he was concerned, he almost didn't even want to hear anything that they may have to say to him. Why would he? His own leader and guide had practically tried to kill him in training, and they were not at all interested in how such pressure may be affecting him emotionally. If it wasn't for the fact that Xavier graciously provided him with a bed to sleep in and food to eat, Bobby was pretty sure he would've told him to shove it.

But his cowardice had far outweighed everything and he found himself nervously bringing his hand up to knock on the door. Bobby took a deep breath and finally made contact with the wood.

'_You may come in, Robert_.'

Bobby squirmed uneasily at the mental intrusion before fully opening the door. Inside, not only was Xavier waiting for him, but Logan, Ororo, and Magneto were as well. That was a surprise -- and not a good one either; Magneto for obvious reasons, and Logan because Bobby didn't necessarily get along great with him either when he'd been under the Wolverine's watch months earlier. Why had the matter concerned Storm and Logan anyways? They were not part of his team, even if they did hold authority over him, so really it was none of their business. Bobby avoided eye contact with each of them.

"Please, Robert, take a seat," Xavier spoke with a mechanic tone.

Magneto raised his hand in the air and pulled the chair out toward him. Bobby watched it almost distrustfully before he willed his legs to carry him over to the piece of furniture.

"I'm sure you know why you're here, don't you?" Magneto questioned coldly.

Bobby could hardly nod as he sat.

"I have to say, I'm a little baffled over your behavior, Robert," Xavier sounded. "This doesn't seem in character for you."

"We're worried about you," Ororo spoke up, finally offering Bobby a warm voice. "And we want you to know that if there is any problem at all you can talk to us about it."

Bobby's mouth was so dry; his nerves were wrecking him. "O-okay."

"Sumthin's up, Ice Cube," Wolverine spoke next. "I never knew ya to be a cheap shot. My team's down a man now -- an important man -- so I'm quite interested to hear what ya got ta say fer yerself."

Bobby opened his mouth to speak, but closed it just as quickly again. What could he say? Alex was the first person he found to take his anger out on? That he was mad at Magneto, so he took it out on Alex? That Alex was talking to a girl that he liked, and he hit him because he was being a jealous ass? None of those answers seemed at all good enough to him.

"Well, if I may, Robert," Xavier pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Do you mind if I speak first?"

"No, sir," Bobby muttered.

"Your potential when you were a part of the New Recruits was outstanding. I felt that you made an excellent leader for them, and that you had the best control over your abilities of the group." Xavier's eyes never left his. "You were the first of your group to accompany us on an important mission, and you held your ground very well."

"Thank you, sir," Bobby mumbled again.

"Bobby, you even did excellent against a threat like _Apocalypse_. However I think maybe you were still trying to prove yourself worthy enough to make it to the main squad." Xavier folded his hands on his desk. "You had great determination, and you did excellent in a team setting."

"I wanted to show you I was good enough," Bobby found his voice. "I'm still that guy, I…"

"No, Bobby," Xavier shook his head. His voice was now becoming more cold and disappointed. "Ever since we've divided into two squads your role has hit minimal. You show little interest in our goals, you've become standoffish amongst your team, and you are not taking your training seriously."

Bobby clenched his jaw and eyed Magneto. "I train more than the rest of my team, sir."

"Because it is very important that you do, Bobby," Ororo offered. "No one is singling you out. You have to understand that the new discovery of your power potential is a big thing. Its imperative that you have complete control over it."

"That being said," Xavier continued. "I think that maybe this new role may be too much responsibility for you."

Bobby felt his stomach sink. "What do you mean? I've been working my butt off!"

Magneto glared at him. "Complete with temper tantrums and violent outbursts! All of which are completely unacceptable! We cannot have you acting in such a way that you are putting other team members at risk!"

"Or maybe ya need more refined trainin'," Wolverine eyed Magneto. "Maybe take it down a notch or two back to where ya were fer a little while. I could always make room in my schedule…"

"What are you trying to say?" Bobby questioned.

"Bobby, we think that maybe you are not prepared for a role on your team like we originally thought." Xavier explained. "We've discussed it, and we thought that maybe you need a lesser role -- for both the better of your mental health, and as punishment -- and be demoted."

"What?!" Bobby was devastated; all that hard work to make his way up, and all the brutal training with Magneto for what? To get demoted? He couldn't accept that. "But I can't…I…"

Xavier sighed. "We realized, however, that might not be the best answer for you. I think, if anything, Bobby, insecurity is your biggest problem."

"Which is a shock," Wolverine muttered.

Xavier eyed him before turning back to Bobby. "Demoting you will not help your lack of confidence in your power. I want to see you succeed, and thrive as an X-Man, and I'm willing to give you one more chance."

Bobby's hope came back. "I swear I'll…"

"You _will_ co-operate," Magneto announced. "This is your last warning. You will basically be under probation. You are not to show up late to training, and you are not to pull another stunt like you did yesterday again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," Bobby swallowed.

"Consider yourself the bottom of the totem pole," Magneto declared harshly. "You were building your way up my team ranks with your extra routines, but I'll have you know that you are now a strictly probationary member. You have no pull over any of the team, nor do you have any say in order."

Bobby frowned. "Okay."

"And as a punishment fer takin' out one of my lead boys," Logan cut in. "Ya'll be on Danger Room duty for two months. Ya'll clean up after every practice course before and after school, as well as jet cleanin' duty."

Bobby suppressed a grumble. "Sure."

"And ya'll be doin' one on one spar courses with me," Logan eyed him. "Ya wanna throw yer fists around, I got no problem with that."

Bobby stared at the professor; was ole baldy seriously okay with that? Xavier did not look like he was in a sympathizing mood at all. "I'm sorry it had to resort to this, Robert."

Bobby sighed. "Okay…"

"And if there's ever a problem, Bobby, please don't be afraid to come talk to me," Ororo offered, still with the warm, motherly tone. "If things begin to get too hectic you can talk it out before something like this has the chance to happen again."

Now Bobby felt like her charity case; she couldn't help Evan so now Storm's afraid for all their mental states. He sighed. "Sure, Ms. Munroe."

"You are dismissed, Robert," Xavier nodded. "I do not want to see you in here for this type of issue again, or next time the consequences will not be so light."

Light, yeah right.

"Yes, sir," Bobby nodded and stood from his seat. He wanted to get away from the curtain of their glares as quickly as possible. Without another word, the teen practically ran for the door.

* * *

Sage eyed the mutants as they made their exit from the large jeep they'd picked up from the warehouse, and worked to get their injured teammates out and into the confines of the beat up house. There hadn't been much conversation during the ride home, and for that she was somewhat grateful. The group of them were battered and beat, angry, and standoffish. She figured that they -- most of them anyways -- were not entirely familiar with such battles, and the stress of it caused tension among them. The dark haired merc also got the impression that not all of them were completely confident with what they were doing, and that made her somewhat suspicious and reluctant to join their ranks. 

At the same time, however, they showed great concern and compassion for each other. She was picking up a lot of stray and panicking thoughts from certain members of the team that brought up unwanted memories and feelings for her. The last time she'd felt that way for anyone was when she'd first met Charles Xavier -- a time when she actually had believed that she'd found a place to belong with people that she could trust.

What a cruel joke that had turned out to be.

But still, the prospect of compassion was just a little appealing from these people. Sure she did not trust them, nor was she at all willing to give them her trust so easily, but her mutant ability allowed her to pick up on sincere thoughts and feelings from some team members. Others, like Gambit and the pyromaniac, were completely blocked from any sort of psionic intrusion, which left them and the speedster a complete mystery to her still. She would have to keep an eye out for them.

"You coming inside?" the big boy known as the Blob spoke to her. The rest of the team had entered the house with not so much as a look back to her.

Sage looked at him. "This isn't a very impressive head quarters."

Fred shrugged. "You should see it when Mystique isn't around. It gets _really_ messy."

The dark haired merc scowled. "Joy."

The bigger boy didn't pay much attention to that, and just stepped inside the house and left the door open for her. The girl wrapped the trench coat around her body tighter and sighed as she walked up the sidewalk and the steps and into the boarding house. When she first stepped inside, the first thing she noticed was the smell. The strong scent of dust, musk, and sweat filled her nose harshly, and she had to stop herself from grimacing. The carpet was worn to a thin, flimsy material below her feet, and the spray painted walls only showed random bits of wallpaper worn into the cracked and broken drywall.

How could someone who lived in such a disaster area possibly even afford to offer her a contract?

She eyed the room and noted that the security was not good. Windows were broken, the locks on the door hung loosely, and only a thin bed sheet covered the gaping hole in the back door at the end of the hall. Intruders could easily find their way in. Sage also noted that there were many escape routes and hiding places among the many halls of the house, which she would have to do a thorough investigation of later.

"You must be Sage," a new voice sounded, this one very clear and authoritative.

"Who wants to know?" the girl asked cautiously.

The blue skinned mutant held out her hand. "I am Mystique, the leader of this circuit."

"You ordered my escape," Sage perked an eyebrow. "How did you know of my whereabouts?"

"Infiltration," Mystique offered. "Months of spying, and a tip off from a stolen disc of information."

"What information?" Sage questioned.

"A data disc of mutant profiles belonging to Charles Xavier," she announced with a hint of a glare. "That bald headed fool has an entire list of people he's been in contact with for many years. Some of which who have been sent out to be spies just like you."

The name and information burned at the merc's very core. "And you found me from there?"

"Yes," Mystique nodded and smiled at her. "And I must say, I'm surprised he would risk such a deal with a girl as smart as you. His X-Men could've used someone with your talents."

Sage didn't let her bitterness show. "Well he figured I would be useful elsewhere."

"Unfortunate for him," Mystique lulled. "What a fatal mistake."

Sage ignored that comment; she would not let this woman manipulate her emotions. "What do you have to offer me?" Tessa cut right to the chase.

Mystique nodded, obviously impressed with the way the merc stood her ground. "I have uncovered a great deal of information from an anti-mutant organization looking to release two very harmful and most certainly fatal nuisances upon mutantkind." The blue skinned mutant gestured for Sage to follow her to the sitting room. "I have a great deal of data and software that needs to be sorted through and analyzed -- as well trained as I am, this data and information goes even beyond my level of knowledge and understanding. A freedom fighter with such skills as you would be much more suitable for the job."

Sage eyed the woman carefully. "And what makes you think that I'm interested? The last time someone pitched an idea of some cause to me I ended up at the Hellfire Club."

Mystique nodded. "I do not claim to be some new age Martin Luther King like Xavier. I'm not looking to make peace, nor am I looking to brainwash anyone with my beliefs. My ideals differ quite significantly from Xavier's."

Sage watched the woman's body language, and listened to her tone very carefully; she decided the mutant had truth to her words. "What exactly are you looking to do?"

"Prevent the fall of mutantkind," Mystique stated with a certain firmness. "This organization I am after has developed a fatal disease to attack the mutant X-Gene -- DNA, if you will. Something that you have a great deal of knowledge of," Mystique added. "Not only are they looking to release this deadly illness upon the mutant species, but they are also developing a newer, more advanced Sentinel program to target mutants again."

"I thought SHIELD shut that down?" Sage questioned suspiciously. "How would they be running that again?"

Mystique sighed and crossed her legs where she sat. "Bolivar Trask is the designer of the Sentinels, and he is indeed under government surveillance. However, I have uncovered that Trask has someone - or something - taking over the new stage for him, although I'm having trouble figuring out exactly what that help is."

Sage nodded carefully. "Okay."

Mystique continued. "They also plan on introducing a bill to the government that would have each and every mutant in the United States registered and monitored -- complete with full profiles to accompany each of us -- in a way to control and spy on us."

The girl didn't like the sound of that. "And you're sure your sources are accurate?"

"Completely," Mystique replied. "However a more experienced analyzer would be of great assistance to me."

Sage figured she was getting at that. "And what makes you think I'm interested in working for you?"

"Well considering we did break you free from your…imprisonment, I would expect you would be a least _a little_ eager to provide us of your service as a gesture of your thanks," Mystique pressed her lips into a thin line. "I am under the impression you were not treated very well during your imprisonment? I have heard tales…beatings, torture," she gestured to Sage's attire. "And I have to wonder what they would be doing to a girl in your lack of dress."

Sage fought back the urge to glare at this woman and kick her face in for saying such things. "It wasn't ideal conditions, no."

"Well in addition to your freedom I also have a bed for you to sleep, food for you to eat, and other mutants your age to fight and train along side with," the blue skinned mutant folded her hands in her lap. "I've got funds to get you a new, and obviously needed, wardrobe. You want a salary for your services? It's yours. Being a mercenary and all, I would suspect you would be willing to negotiate such a clause."

"What about Xavier?" Sage questioned as Mystique's proposition processed through her fast paced mind.

"I was getting to that, child," Mystique grinned. "Charles Xavier is adamant about keeping tabs on my team. I have tried to work out a compromise with him in taking down this circuit, but we could not reach a deal." The woman scowled. "He feels the need to take over such plans, and I have absolutely no intention of doing it his way. Therefore he has declared to fight us, and to prevent us from going further with our plans."

"And where does this fit me?" Sage snapped, wanting to get to the point.

"We are guaranteed a run in with the X-Men, and therefore, access to Xavier," Mystique replied. "When that time comes, I will allow you to do whatever you desire. I have no qualms about handing him over to you to do what you wish to obtain your revenge." Mystique took a deep breath. "As much as I respect what the man is trying to do for mutantkind, no child should ever have had to go through what you did."

Sage swallowed. "That's beside the point."

"Stop trying to hold back your emotions with me," Mystique ordered. "I have gone through similar treatments in the past, and I know how it itches you to the very core to pay the bastard back who did this to you. Whether you admit it out loud or not is your own prerogative, but Charles Xavier is a pitiful excuse for a man to allow such a thing to happen under his watch."

Sage blinked. "You have no limitations to what I can do, or how I come and go?"

"As long as you run my computer system for me, analyze all data brought in, and participate in team missions, you are free to do whatever you please," Mystique offered.

Sage thought it over carefully before nodding. "Fine, I think we can negotiate a deal."

"Excellent," Mystique smiled at her. "I will show you to your quarters. I hope you don't mind sharing with a team member?"

Sage didn't like that idea, but shrugged anyways. "As long as that person doesn't mind my guns close by, I suppose that's fine."

Mystique smirked. "It'll take a bit to scare this one."

* * *

"Get 'im in there! An' dammit, Freddy! Watch his head!" Remy was nearly tearing his hair out as they set up the injured mutants in their beds. Tabitha had all but fell up the stairs, and had to be rushed into the bathroom by Pietro to vomit. The Cajun was now positive that the girl had a concussion; her pupils were different sizes and she was having difficulty walking. She'd nearly lost consciousness twice in the jet on the way back to their warehouse. 

Todd hadn't fared much better. Johnny and Wanda had taken the amphibious mutant to his bedroom across the hall. His wounds had been cleaned up in the jet in order to stop the bleeding, and he'd only been able to wake up twice before effectively passing out again. Luckily there was no real bad physical damage on him, like broken bones, except his cuts. The most he was able to get out of the others was that Tabitha had probably attacked him while brainwashed and blew up a wall on the both of them. Remy rolled his eyes at the irony.

And then there was Lance. Remy was worried about him. The rock tumbler had not woken at all since they'd left him in the hall at the Hellfire Headquarters. Gashes were visible on his head and neck, and also on his back they had found when they removed his uniform shirt. He was also sporting two black eyes as a result of being hit in the back of the head so hard. Worst of all were his hands, however. When Remy's team had made their way into the fourth floor hall, Lance was being mauled by the lycanthrope. The beast had done some good damage too because they were still cleaning up the blood -- and working around broken fingers.

Fred laid the co-team leader down in his bed carefully, and made sure his arms were both gently at his sides, and his legs straight. Remy cursed. "I think he needs a doctor."

"We can't!" Fred paled. "We ain't got no coverage, Gambit. And Mystique would never let us."

Remy sighed. "I know that, homme; I was just statin' a fact is all."

"So what do we do? How do we know how bad he is?" the bigger boy asked, looking genuinely frightened.

Remy avoided looking at him as he began removing Lance's boots. "I…I don't know. I know some stuff from back in my…_days_…but that's it. I ain't no doctor, homme, so I can only try."

Fred nodded his head. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Remy looked up at him. "Find me somethin' to change him into. A pair of shorts, or somethin'."

Fred blushed madly at that. "We're gonna take his clothes off?! He won't like that!"

Remy snorted in spite of himself. "Well we gotta check the rest of 'im out somehow. How would ya feel if he had somethin' bleedin' real bad or broken that we couldn't see just 'cause ya were too scared to check?"

"Pretty bad, Remy," Fred sighed as he made his way over to Lance's dresser. "But what if he doesn't wake up?"

The Cajun's stomach fell at the thought. "I don't know," he paused noticing Blob's face pale further. "But he will. Ya don't haveta worry 'bout that."

"Good," the big boy breathed and handed Remy a pair of cargo shorts. "He sure does look bad though."

Remy nodded. "Only 'cause he saved the others."

Fred smiled at Gambit. "That's why I know I can always count on him. He might be a dick, but he's a good friend."

"Oui," Remy agreed as he began removing Lance's clothes, wincing at the sight of the rock tumbler's bruised and battered skin. "Why do ya think Mystique wouldn't let me have total leadership?"

"Really?" Fred asked him; Remy got the impression Blob was a little surprised at the Cajun opening up to him. "I like it best with both of you leading us."

"Do we have any gauze left?" Remy asked with a frown; there was a new source of blood flow along Lance's calf and ankle. The smell of it was quickly over powering the room.

"I'll go check; I think we left it in Toddy's room," Fred replied. Gambit nodded and watched as he left the room.

Lance was in bad shape. He didn't want to scare the others and tell them that, but Remy's experience with the Guild's -- assassins, death, drug and weapons deals -- he seen a lot of violence and injury. The Cajun had picked up on a lot of first aid and survival techniques growing up, but he was not at all qualified to know what the hell happens with head injuries…and it was painfully obvious that they were apparent with the black eyes.

Remy could recall some slime ball that had lived up the street from them in the French Quarter. He was a pimp and was always very visibly abusive to the girls that worked for him. One day, a girl had quietly left a portion of the man's cash cut a secret and had been caught out. The pimp had ended up hitting her in the back of the head with a crow bar -- base of the skull, top of the neck -- and she'd had those black eyes for days afterward. It stayed in his mind because he remembered how much it had freaked him out that her eyes would turn black and puffy like that when she hadn't even been hit in the face. He had later learned they were called 'raccoon eyes', and he never did forget it.

And there was Lance laying there with a face as puffy as the hooker on Bourbon Street. Remy was angry at himself that he hadn't been able to get to Pierce sooner because now Lance was paying for it. The kid had a lot of guts, and more than likely prevented major injuries to Tab and Pietro. But for all of Lance's sometimes heroing good deeds, the team was stuck in a hard place. They did not have any medical coverage, no doctor on site…nor could they even risk showing up battered at a clinic somewhere only to get the cops called on them to question the circumstances.

And Remy knew that outside of Mystique he was probably the best bet to tend for the wounds right now based on experience.

Remy checked over the boy's thighs, and then proceeded to turn him over gently to get a better look at his back. It was at that time that Fred showed back up with the medical kit looking a little nauseous.

"Is everythin' okay, homme?" Remy dared ask.

"Yeah…" Fred trailed off. "Toddy's awake…he's just puking a lot."

Remy nodded. "An' he will if his head is hurt."

Fred grimaced. "I don't have the stomach for all this blood."

"I thought you had the stomach for everythin'," Remy's joke fell flat as he replaced Lance's body back to the mattress. He dug around inside the med kit for some gauze and bandages, and prepared to start cleaning the rock tumbler up. "We're gonna have to take turns watchin' these guys."

"All three of 'em? Why can't Tabs take care of herself?" Fred questioned.

Remy rolled his eyes. "She's got a concussion. Once Speedy's got her cleaned up and her face out of the toilet, she's gotta rest…but she can't sleep. And I don't know what the hell John and Wanda are doin' to help Toddy -- and frankly that thought scares me a little -- but once he's patched up, we gotta keep an eye on him too."

"But I don't know how to take care of people," Fred frowned sadly.

"We take turns makin' sure they only sleep for a little while at a time, no more than an hour or two. Then if the bandages look bad, we change 'em -- that's all there is to it, okay?" Remy felt like he was talking to a toddler, but tried to keep the fact out of his voice. Freddy was just scared, is all.

"I think I can handle that," Fred nodded.

"Alright," Remy conceded. "Then ya an' I will take the shift until the afternoon, and then Pietro and Wanda'll do the evenin'. Hopefully we can get Sage to help or else I'll be pullin' night duty too with Johnny."

"You're gonna trust John…and Wanda? And Pietro? To take care of everyone?" Fred asked worriedly.

Remy wanted to pinch the bridge of his nose, but the blood on his fingers kept him from doing so. "I'll have to. This team's gotta work together or else we'll be in big trouble."

"I agree," Fred nodded his head determinedly before grabbing his stomach.

"Are ya okay?" Remy scrunched up his nose.

"It smells in here," Fred mumbled, paling even more.

"That's…ah…" Remy blinked. "It's just the…blood, homme."

Fred grabbed his mouth again and ran for the door, leaving Remy alone again. The Cajun could only sigh; it was going to be a long day.

* * *

Lorna shouldered her book bag and waited at the end of the hall. Rogue had left and taken the others to school, and now she had to find a way there; however, she intentionally skipped out on her ride because she wanted to wait for Bobby. He had been called into Xavier's office during breakfast, and had been cooped up inside for quite some time now. 

She was worried about him.

The way he'd acted toward Alex the previous day had frightened her because it wasn't something that he'd normally do. She'd been the one to go get Storm; as much as Alex was kind of annoying, she certainly couldn't just let him lie on the floor unattended to. As soon as Storm seen the boy things just went crazy. Magneto was flipping his lid, and it had eventually led to a fight between him and Lorna. She was well aware ahead of time that Bobby was getting into some big trouble, and she wanted to catch him before school to make sure that he was okay.

Her ears perked up at the sound of the door clicking down the hall, and soon Bobby was in her line of sight. He didn't seem to see her, however, and he turned to walk down the hall in the opposite direction. She shouldered her back pack and ran toward him. "Bobby!"

He turned, startled, and ran a hand through his hair. "Hey Lorna!" A little too cheerful.

She frowned. "Are you okay? What happened in there?"

He shrugged uneasily and gestured for her to walk with him toward the garage. "Nothing at all. I wish it was Saturday though, school's no fun when it's nice outside!"

She perked an eyebrow. "You hate it when it's hot."

He smiled at her, albeit forcibly. "No biggie, I can handle it."

He pushed his way through the door to the garage and held it open for her, but all she could do is frown at him. "You don't have to lie to me, Bobby. I know what's going on. You just got in trouble."

He plucked a set of keys from the key hook and made his way toward one of the team cars. "Don't worry about it."

She grabbed his elbow and spun him around. "I will worry about it! My dad told me all about you, Bobby! He told me that you're having problems accepting your powers! He was going to kick you off the team!"

His face faltered. "Well, he shouldn't have told you that." He unlocked the doors, and pulled himself in the driver's seat. She followed him.

"Look, I know it's none of my business or anything, but you shouldn't be cooping all this up!" she watched him as he held onto the wheel loosely, and stared out the windshield. "I want to be there for you. Please let me…"

Bobby let out a low sigh as he turned to face her. "Look, I…I'm fine, I promise."

Lorna frowned, and reached out to hold his hand. "No, you're not. It's okay not to be sometimes, and it's good to talk about it. I'm not against you here."

Bobby stared at her with soft brown eyes. "I don't want you to…"

"You're not," Lorna cut him off. "You don't need to be mister jokester all the time, Bobby. And as much as I don't agree with what you did, I'm not mad at you."

"You kissed me," Bobby stated dumbly.

Lorna felt her face burn with a blush. "I told you…I…_care_ about you."

He smiled at her. "That makes things a lot better, you know."

"Well, I mean it," she admitted shyly. "I don't want to see you get hurt. My father can be a little crazy sometimes and…"

"Let's…" Bobby cut her off sheepishly. "Let's not talk about him, okay?"

"Will you talk to me when you're ready?"

"I promise I will," he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "But I feel better already."

"I didn't even do anything," she smiled at him.

"You didn't have to."

She felt a blush creep up again. "Bobby…"

The brown haired teen smiled softly at her and brought her hand up to his mouth to kiss it gently. "Everything's fine as long as you're around, Lorna."

She leaned back in the seat and paused. "Are we…?"

"Do you want to?" Bobby smiled crookedly. "I mean, I _like_ you and all…and, you know…"

"Yeah," Lorna smiled shyly. "I'd like that."

Bobby nodded happily as he started up the car to get them to school; they were already running late. "I hope you know what you're getting into," he winked at her.

She smiled before leaning in to give him a soft kiss on the lips. "I couldn't even begin to imagine."

* * *

John settled in his bed finally. The battle had taken the team out for most of the night, and once they had finally gotten Lance, Todd, and Tabitha tended to, it was well into the morning. The pyromaniac was told that he wouldn't have to take a shift watching over the injured mutants until that night, so he took the opportunity to visit his bed. He didn't even bother to close his door, or shut his lights off; he only peeled himself out of his uniform and changed into a pair of shorts before he sprawled on top of the blankets. Being one of the last members to join the team he was stuck with sharing his quarters with Remy, but since the Cajun was currently tending to the injured parties of the team, John was left with the quiet stillness of the room. 

And quiet wasn't necessarily a good thing when one had a lot on his mind.

John pushed his usual carefree demeanor aside once he was finally alone, and kept his mind glued on the memories of the evening. His emotions were a clusterfuck of anger and guilt and confusion…and those weren't things he was normally accustomed to dealing with following a stressful mission or fight. Of course he'd never had to partake in anything as nearly as violent since their new team had started, but that was beside the point.

Lance had made him aware of the death toll that had been a result of the first mission. John's conscious was at ease that he knew he was not at fault for any of those deaths. Tabitha and Freddy had taken out a good chunk of them, and Lance leveling the building had done in the rest -- so as bad as John felt, he was at ease knowing that he was not directly responsible for such things.

But now…it was a little bit different.

People didn't die at the Hellfire Club because of a series of unfortunate explosions, or collapsed roofs. People died that night as a result of direct, violent attacks made by the Brotherhood. The pyromaniac wasn't entirely sure of the fate of Shaw, but he had his fears. Mastermind may be another possibility; the severity of burns could cause all sorts of complications.

John loved his powers. They were beautiful and chaotic; elemental control at his very fingertips -- the power of a god, some would say…like Magneto used to tell him. John had caused a lot of disorder and disarray with his powers -- property damage, clothing damage, small burns even on people -- but he never saw himself as someone with the right to take anyone's life. His former teammates at the Acolyte base, with the exception of Petey of course, had all been responsible for death in the past. Living with a house full of cold blooded killers definitely unnerved him in ways, even if he never showed it outwardly.

And here it was happening all over again. Only this time, he was one of _them_.

The Aussie let out a long sigh and flopped over onto his back, and threw his arm over his face to shield him from the light he was too lazy to get up and turn off. He hated feeling so depressed and contemplative…those weren't feelings he liked to deal with or dwell on. However, he couldn't get the image of Shaw falling to the floor out of his head. Nor could he get the image of a begging Mastermind from his brain.

Had he really gone and done that to Jason?

He was at a loss as to why he was so quick to dispose of Jason at his feet -- to abuse him as though he were some worthless animal -- but then hesitate with Shaw. Shaw hadn't even attacked him…for all he knew Remy and Wanda could have overloaded him alone. Mastermind, however was more of an impact on him directly. Mastermind had attacked the team single handedly and brainwashed half of them into fighting each other. Jason was responsible for making John fight Wanda. Jason dug into her head -- again -- and made her attack him…and consequently was responsible for making John have to attack her back.

_It was Wanda_.

John was sure of it. She was the reason why he had attacked Mastermind without a second thought; the reason he had so willingly hurt a man so seriously and felt no remorse for it. The feelings that had surged through the pyromaniac when he'd seen her under Jason's mercy were so frantic -- the anger, the worry, the rage…the care -- seeing Wanda like that made him go absolutely ballistic; this overpowering desperation to free her and avenge her surged through him like never before. John wanted to make sure that no insane mind controller would ever touch that pretty head of hers ever again; no, not after he allowed it to happen the first time. Wanda didn't deserve that.

Among all that guilt that burned through John about violently attacking Shaw, he still couldn't find it in himself to feel that way toward Mastermind. When he thought about Jason there was only this vaguely satisfied void within him. What did that say about him? What did that say about his reasons? Did he really feel that strongly about Wanda that he had to violently attack somebody, and not at all feel shame about it like he did his other victim?

He did.

He felt strongly for her. John Allerdyce would watch a teammate's back on a mission. The pyromaniac would go to great lengths to defend a friend. However, he wasn't sure there were very many people that he'd actually potentially kill for. But he did that for Wanda Maximoff, and he didn't feel at all bad about it either. Sure, he would admit that the thought scared him; he'd never done anything like that before, and it was all very new to him.

John was entirely confident about his feelings for her now, even if it took him just a little while to fully realize it. The time he'd spent with her in the past few weeks had been fun, unpredictable, chaotic, but absolutely addictive. The way she so blatantly stuck by him through the mess with Tabitha…and the way she opened up to him that late night on the couch…he knew that she didn't do things like that. As awkward and as hesitant as she seemed about it, she _still_ did it, and that very fact burned in him. All of those unpredictable and rare things she did just made him so much more attracted to her.

But it absolutely surprised him, and scared the shit out of him, that his emotions were that fierce that he could pull a stunt like he did. His scatterbrained mind fought and fought to grasp that concept entirely. Every fiber of his being ached to understand it.

"Oi, that is fucked up."

"I'm sorry," a soft voice replied to his musing.

John's eyes bolted open and he sat up on his bed; there in the very flesh was the object of his internal conflict, staring at him wide eyed and confused. "I…uh…what are ya doin', Sheila?"

Wanda's face burned a deep shade of scarlet, and the lights flickered faintly. "I…uh…I thought you were sleeping."

A crooked grin spread along his lips. "So ya came to watch me sleep?"

"No!" she blurted, and again the light flickered. "I just…something was bugging me, and I…I had to see for myself."

The Aussie cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "What's that?"

Another blush made her way up to her cheeks as she stepped forward, lightly placing her fingers along his neck. The feel of her soft flesh almost made his eyelids flutter. The witch cleared her throat and stepped away from him. "Your neck…the bruises."

John swallowed uneasily. "I'm fine! No need to worry! I'm a regular old fighter, I am!" he chuckled nervously.

She sighed irritably. "I did that."

"Wanda…" he trailed off. "Really, it's…"

The lights flickered, and an angry scowl plastered across her face. _God she was beautiful when she was angry_. "No, its not! What kind of nut case am I fucking turning on my own team mates?! Why did you…I don't even…fuck!" she threw her hands in the air angrily and sat down on the bed.

John didn't know what to say. He didn't want to anger her or make her feel guilty about what happened. It most certainly wasn't her fault, but her emotions were so unpredictable that he had no idea how to tell _her_ that. He swallowed and inched closer to her. "Really, I'm not hurt…"

She stared at him angrily. "It shouldn't have happened in the first place, that's the point!"

Bravely, he put a hand on shoulder. "There was this…telepath bloke, real ugly lookin' fella…"

"I didn't see _you_," Wanda spat angrily. "I could see…_somebody else_. Some man who looked like a doctor, I thought he was coming after me…"

John's eyes widened. "It was just a trick, one of 'em crazy telepath things…really…it's…"

She sighed irritably. "I'm _not_ crazy."

That threw him for a loop. "Uh…what?"

"I'm not crazy," she stared at him with a scary seriousness. "I wouldn't…"

"I know that, Sheila," John muttered. He let the hand on her shoulder slide slowly up and down her back. "Ya had no control o'er that…"

She looked at him with this angry fear in her eyes that he hadn't seen in her since that day at the Acolyte base all that time ago. The lights were flickering more and more as she got worked up, and soon a few of the objects on his and Remy's dressers began to levitate. John swallowed and took a deep breath before grabbing her chin with his hand. She needed to calm down; it occurred to him that such weakness must have been such a fear to her, and lord knew he was not good at dealing with that.

"Wanda," he pleaded.

She stared at him. "Oh shit…I…"

She attempted to jump to her feet as the blue around her hands grew, but John wasn't about to let her go. He threw his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him so that they were only inches apart. "It's alright, Sheila…" he fought to keep the panic from his voice. The light bulb in the ceiling burst next. She looked at him with wide eyes. "I'd never think that way about ya! Promise!" John offered and pulled her closer.

Her cheeks burned so red they matched her shirt.

"Sheila, please…" John's voice came out higher than he wanted it to. That was no good. He was starting to panic right along with her -- like they were a pair of cuckoo crazy fruit loops who couldn't control themselves. He held onto her shoulders as she clutched on to his, and suddenly he forgot what the hell they were freaking out about in the first place.

So he started to laugh.

It came out loud and frantic; the type of laugh that came from the belly and made his shoulders shake. He laughed so hard that tears started to blur his vision. And of course, Wanda being Wanda, had an angry glare pass along her features and her hands dropped to her lap as he laughed against her. "What the hell is so funny? I'm not amused right now!"

"I know, I'm sorry, it's just…" the laughter cut him off, and he tried to look at her. "I'm sorry…"

She pushed him roughly so that he was no longer leaning on her and he fell back onto the bed. "What the hell is going on?"

"I don't even know," he laughed. "Fruitbats."

"What?!" she questioned and hit him with a pillow. "Are you on drugs?"

"Not right now," he rolled onto his side so that he was laughing against her again. "Oh man, ya gotta love it."

She slapped a hand against his bare back roughly. "Love it? I was freaking out!"

He sat up and tried his best to settle down to look her in the eye. "It was beautiful too, and I…" he chuckled again. "Wow…"

"Beautiful?" she mumbled and blushed furiously. "You think I…I was freaking out!"

A huge smile spread across his face. "I know."

"And you…?" she blushed madly again.

"Beautiful," he repeated, and finally stopped laughing. "Madness."

Her lips deceived her and quirked up on the sides. "Uh…I…"

John smiled and closed off the few inches that separated them; he figured he would either get hexed through the wall and bust in on Pietro, or she would stop mumbling and kiss him back. She sat still against him at first, in total shock, he supposed, but after a few agonizing seconds John felt her hands circle around his face as she kissed him back. It was slow and chaste at first, but then she pressed herself against him harder and they fell back on the bed. She massaged his mouth very curiously and carefully, and he gladly took the opportunity to memorize those gorgeous full lips of hers. So soft and delicious she tasted, and the kiss was not at all angry or conflicted like she was only moments earlier. He pulled away, and then kissed her quickly one more time before opening his eyes to look at her.

"Uh…" she fumbled her words and blushed again -- and then the light in the hall blew.

And John started laughing again.

* * *

That afternoon Pietro had found himself finally out of the house. He didn't mean to be a prick, but he needed to have some time the hell away from that place before he started his watch with Wanda. The speedster had spent the morning helping Tabby puke, and smelling blood, and listening to Mystique piss and moan about the fact that they'd let their teammates get hurt…and he just needed to get out and _run_. 

And he did just that. He figured he should've been tired considering he'd been out all night fighting, getting hit with explosions, and fretting over pukers. It really was not something that Pietro Maximoff liked to do. He'd rather be out having fun, or trying on new clothes…or something that didn't involve him feeling and seeing things he preferred he not.

After going through a couple cities, and states, then across the country and back, he ended up back in Bayville five minutes later standing in front of the high school. He didn't have a purpose for being there other then the fact that the sense of familiarity and not being at home drew him there. And maybe the prospect of seeing someone he'd decided he liked that wasn't battered and bruised and puking on him appealed just a little bit too.

The bell signaling the end of the day rang, and the speed demon waited patiently on the boulevard by the road until he saw her. Laura came stomping down the steps only minutes later alone and with a scowl on her face. The sight made Pietro's lips quirk up, and he decided to make his way toward her.

"Oh great! It's you, stupid idiot," the girl scowled.

Pietro smirked. "I love being greeted that way."

Laura rolled her eyes. "What do you want? You will not be playing any of your mind game battle tactics with me today, Pietro Maximoff."

Pietro shook his head. "I have no idea where you got that stupid idea."

"From my head, obviously," X-23 folded her arms.

"So that's where thoughts come from!?" Pietro laughed at her. "I never woulda guessed."

"That's because you are stupid," she huffed at him, but at least wasn't growling like she usually did.

He scoffed. "I'm only stupid in the sense that I sit here and have these conversations with you. Why can't you just talk to me like a normal person would?"

She looked _almost_ hurt at that. "I _am_ normal."

Pietro sighed. "That's not what I meant."

She stared at him. "What did you want?"

"I just wanted to come see you," he admitted. "What's so wrong with that, huh? You act like I'm trying to kill you or something."

She snorted at that. "You wouldn't be able to if you tried."

He knew she was right, but like hell he would _ever_ admit it. "Whatever you say, _Laura_."

"You can't call me that!" she protested.

"It's your name," Pietro pointed out. "Why shouldn't I call you that?"

"Because," the girl spat. "Only…never mind! Just don't. Call me by my designation, and don't ask anymore questions about it."

Pietro's face softened a touch. "Only that _place_ designated you that. You're a human, so I'll call you by your fucking name whether you like it or not."

She glared at him. "I don't like that you know these things! And if you keep doing whatever you want, I might just 'accidentally' punch you and stab your head."

Pietro rolled his eyes. "You'd have to be stupid and crazy to want to damage this beautiful face."

"Whatever you say, ugly," she huffed, but had a hint of a smirk on her face. "Why did you want to see me? Did you have some message from your team? Or are you just here to bug me and only me?"

"Just you," he grinned at her. "You're the only X-geek worth my time; you should feel honored."

"Maybe sick, a little," she joked.

He smiled at her. Before he could say anything else, two more people approached them. "Hey, X-23!" It was Tabitha's friend Amara waving her down, and a girl with green hair.

"Is it time to leave?" Laura asked.

"Why are you talking to him?" Amara questioned her. "You know we're not supposed to be talking to _them_."

"Bite me, Barbie," Pietro rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You talk to Tabitha all the time, so run along and go play with your hair or something."

"It is fine," Laura assured the girl with an annoyed tone of her own. "Pietro Maximoff was just…annoying me."

"Yeah, he does that," Amara snapped. "We should go before you get caught…"

"Pietro Maximoff?" the green haired girl questioned slowly.

Pietro eyed her and smirked. "Heard of me? I _am_ a legend, I know…"

"Yeah, I've heard of you," she whispered. Her eyes looked big and wet, and it made Pietro want to run away. He didn't like it when people cried; like hell he knew what to do about it when they did.

Amara's eyes snapped open. "Lorna, no! Now is not the time…"

Pietro grew suspicious and grabbed the girl's elbow so she wouldn't leave. "Just a second…_who_ are you?!"

Amara shot a fireball into her hand. "Let her go, Pietro!"

"Do not fight him!" Laura snapped surprisingly. "If he wishes Lorna Dane harm, I will stab him myself."

Amara glared at her. "X!"

Lorna stared at Pietro. "I…"

"Oh shit," realization dawned on the speedster. "You're…the one who controls metal."

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Just like…" Pietro trailed off, too shocked to speak for once.

"My dad."

"Lorna! What on Earth are you talking about!?" Amara exclaimed.

Pietro could not even believe what he was hearing; so Wanda was right then? Magneto was this girl's dad, just like theirs? But how could that be? He…_cared_ for her enough to live with her? And _he_ didn't even acknowledge the fact that they would find out? He hadn't even told them…

"I heard a lot about you from the people around the institute, but…" Lorna trailed off.

Pietro suddenly felt angry. "They don't know shit about me."

She looked surprised. "I never said I liked what I heard…I…"

"I think I should go," Pietro muttered.

"Wait! Don't!" Lorna pleaded.

"We have to go!" Amara pleaded. "The others are coming!"

"The others can wait!" Laura shouted.

"Do I…do we…have a sister too?" Lorna asked; she looked like she was ready to cry.

Pietro's stomach was flipping. "Uh…yeah. But she…you can't…"

"Please? I need to know," the girl pleaded with big puppy eyes. "Father, he…"

"Don't!" Pietro snapped angrily. "Don't even fucking talk about him! He's a sociopathic freak!"

Lorna looked taken aback. "But…"

"No," Pietro shook his head. He felt so angry and confused that he didn't know what to say or feel. The whole thing was…messed up. His family was so _messed up_. "Don't talk to me about him…and don't bother trying to find Wanda. You wouldn't last a second in front of her."

A tear slipped down her cheek and she nodded. "Fine…but I want you to know…I'm really glad I could finally…" she let out a choked sob and to Pietro's surprise - and horror - she hugged him. "I'm sorry."

Pietro didn't know what to say. "It's not your fault? I don't know…I have to go!"

The girl eyed him; her eyes were as steely and questioning as Wanda's -- only green. The sight scared him. "I need to be able to see you again! I…" she trailed off hopefully. "I need to…"

"I don't know," Pietro backed off; he hated the fact that his confidence was wavering. He also hated the fact that this girl -- _his sister_ -- was crying, and he didn't know what the fuck to do about it. Was she a bad person? Or a good one? Was she like Mag…he didn't finish that thought. "I have to go."

And without another word, he sped home.

* * *

Wanda walked toward her room trying helplessly to keep the stupid grin off her face. There was no way in hell that she was going to walk around like a giddy little ditz, especially around the idiots in the house. Yeah the guy she'd been crushing on kissed her and admitted that he liked her…and they talked all morning…she slapped her forehead. She was acting like an idiot! She could have a boyfriend _and_ not act stupid. 

She took a deep breath and stepped into her room, and then almost screamed at what she saw. "Oh hell no!"

Sage glared at her. "Don't even try and fight me. This wasn't my choice."

Wanda's eye twitched. "Obviously. I doubt you're that stupid."

The girl smirked. "You really have no idea."

"Okay, but…" Wanda scowled. "Sharing my room is one thing, but my clothes too? We're going to have to set some rules here."

Sage glared again; she had on one of the witch's halters, and a black skirt. "Excuse me for not wanting to walk around these boys half naked. It's only until I can go out and get some clothes for myself."

"What, you didn't want something pink and trampy from Tabitha's closet?" Wanda snorted.

Sage didn't look impressed with her at all. "No, I'd rather not."

Wanda rolled her eyes and made her way toward her closet to find something clean to change into. She had to spend the evening with her stupid brother checking on her stupid team mates. She was not happy about it either. "So how long are you staying?"

"However long I need to, I suppose," the girl replied. "Your leader didn't give me a deadline or anything."

"Don't call her that," Wanda muttered.

"Why?" Sage questioned. "That's what she is, isn't she?"

The witch eyed the girl before picking out a black tank top. "I guess."

"You're thrilled about that," it wasn't a question, but a statement.

Wanda eyed her. "Wow, how can you tell?"

"Easy, you're not _that_ hard to read," Sage muttered.

Wanda glared at her. "Stay the fuck outta my head. I don't like telepaths."

"I didn't go in your head," Sage replied calmly. "I analyzed your body language, which is entirely different. You don't need to be so defensive."

"So says the girl with the guns all over her bed," Wanda hissed. "I don't even _know_ you."

"And I don't know you either, but that doesn't mean you need to jump down my throat," Sage retorted with that same calm look on her face.

Wanda sighed. "Sorry, I guess. I'm just not…a people person."

"Never would have guessed," the merc eyed her. "But you don't have to worry because I'm not looking for someone to paint nails with."

"Good," Wanda couldn't help but grin a little. "Because you'd have to go to Tabby for that, and you'd probably dislike her just as much as I do."

Sage nodded blankly. "I somehow doubt you solely hate her because of her personality."

Wanda's eyes narrowed. "Yeah? What do you know?"

Sage shrugged. "Lots of things. I try not to flaunt it though."

"Well you're doing a shitty job," Wanda snapped and turned her back so that she could get changed.

"Well, it's nice to see that not all of you seem brain dead around here. Although your moodiness quite makes up for it," Sage mused from behind her.

Wanda held back the temptation to hex the bitch out the window. "That's what happens when you live in a house full of morons for as long as I have."

"I could imagine, and I haven't even seen them all fully awake yet," Sage replied.

Wanda turned when her shirt was changed. "Pietro is a fucking idiot, and so is Tabitha. Fred is a pig who I can't stand to look at, and Toad is a perverted little twerp who will probably try and hide in our fucking closet now that there are two girls in here." Wanda glared at the thought and stared at Sage. "Gambit's okay when he's not being a cocky fucking jerk, and Lance doesn't bug me as much and that's because he's usually brooding too."

Sage perked an amused eyebrow. "And the other one?"

Wanda blushed. "Is…out of his fucking mind."

A small smirk played across the girl's face. "I guess so."

Wanda rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Anyways, if you know what's good for you you'll keep conversation with them to a minimum so you don't lose any brain cells."

"I don't think I need to worry about that, but I suppose I'll keep it in mind," Sage replied and she shifted around on her bed to get comfortable. "For as many insults as you shout out though your team seems pretty close."

Wanda snorted, but didn't reply.

Sage eyed her. "I won't tell anyone."

"Like you'd live to see the day if you did," Wanda muttered.

Sage grinned at her. "Don't underestimate me."

"Says the one who got captured," Wanda perked an eyebrow challengingly.

Sage's eyes darkened. "Looks like we have something in common then."

Wanda was perplexed. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

The dark haired girl's eyes moved across Wanda's face rapidly as she regarded her, and then decidedly changed the subject. "I only got captured because I freed someone else."

Wanda stared at her. "How noble of you."

Sage didn't flinch at that. "Xavier nearly sent another girl in behind me. I wasn't going to let her fall for his pathetic lies too."

Wanda nodded in complete agreement at that. Xavier was not someone she was fond of at all. "I don't trust him at all."

"Nor should you," Sage told her seriously. "He's a lying, manipulative old man."

"And you weren't his only spy?" Wanda questioned.

Sage shook her head. "Apparently not. The girl he sent in that I met…she wasn't even from this country. She was some British mutant trying to prove herself worthy of a mission. She was only seventeen."

Wanda frowned. "I think that he secretly brainwashes people."

Sage eyed her. "Probably."

Wanda sat down on her bed and stared at her new roommate; maybe, she decided, she wouldn't be so bad…maybe. "Don't worry; it probably won't be long before we battle him again."

The other girl just blinked and didn't say a word before picking up one of the guns on her bed and began to clean it.

* * *

(-) Excuse the medical stuff, please. I did it all off the top of my head. I'm a paramedic student, so I know _some_ stuff, but I'm not a pro or anything, lol. I didn't do any research because I don't think Remy'd be totally knowledgeable about it, so I just did the basics to make it easier to understand. 

**Next Chapter**: Sage uncovers some more info about the FOH plans; Romy; Tabby and Amara; Tabbietro; Toad and Jonda; and Lorna gets to see an ugly side to her dad.

**A/N**: Whoo boy. This is just a little late, huh? I'm really, really sorry about that, guys and girls. I've been at work on my X-Factor and other comic verse fics at my LiveJournal, so I was just a wee bit distracted. But, I know that is no excuse and nothing that any of you care about, lol, so I'll leave it at that. I hope you enjoyed this, and please don't forget to leave me some feedback. :)


	17. Green Eyed Monster

**A/N**: Seems we're back on track. School starts next week, so you are warned. I have a lot of biology classes which require a lot of attention, so I'm trying to get ahead now so that I can be a good little writer and keep you guys with action weekly. If anything should change (and hopefully, it won't) it will be bi-weekly updates.

* * *

**Chapter 17 - Green Eyed Monster**

* * *

It had been a long couple of days. In pairs, the Brotherhood had taken turns looking after the injured and healing to ensure that they were alright. Tabitha had managed the quickest recovery -- as predicted -- and Toad was coming along. Lance was better than he was, but the team was still quite worried about him. He'd barely waken at all since they'd brought him home, and when he did he was only delusional and panicky, causing dangerous tremors to go ripping through the house's foundations. 

And Mystique was not any help at all. The entire team had gotten an ear piercing speech from her about letting themselves get messed up the way they did; any and all explanations were disregarded by the leader, and only made her madder. Mystique had made it clear that she was not, under any circumstances, risking hospital visits. The Brotherhood were under suspicion still for the activities at the FOH sentinel factory, and they all knew damn well that any young person showing up in a hospital as battered as they were would only raise more suspicion.

Least of all, Mystique didn't offer much of a helping hand at all; only her credit card popped out when more supplies were needed.

So that left the rest of the teens -- Gambit, Blob, Quicksilver, Sage, Wanda, and Pyro -- to take turns making sure that no one died. The responsibility was handled well by some of them, and not so well at all by others -- Wanda and Blob included. Originally, Sage had been partnered up with Pyro to take the overnight shift, but after some 'nudging' from Wanda, the merc willingly gave up the nightshift to partner up with Quicksilver for the afternoon and evenings. The speed demon spent most of his time with Tabitha, and that left Sage with the constant whining of Toad, and the ever quiet Lance.

The dark haired girl sighed irritably as she changed a bandage on Lance's ribs. She had a feeling that the bones there were definitely cracked, so it took a great deal of precision on her part to keep from injuring him further. So far, he was the only injured mutant she'd been able to tolerate at all; the other two were much too whiney and irritable for her liking. But the rock tumbler was quiet, and any time that he woke up and got out of control, she was easily able to ease him with help from her powers.

As for the medical stuff, it was times like those she was so glad that she had a picture perfect memory. She was able to recall survival stuff from years previous of training with Xavier, her training as a freedom fighter in her younger years, and even some readings she gathered from the Hellfire Club were definitely being used to her advantage while caring for Lance. That being said, she still wasn't particularly fond of dealing with wounds and infection and blood, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let the poor guy rot in his bed -- even if she didn't know him. He did a heroic thing for his team while they rescued her, so she at least owed him that.

She poured a small amount of iodine onto a cotton ball, and applied it to the boy's cut. As soon as she did so, a sharp intake of breath was heard.

"God that hurts…" his voice came out low and raspy; she hadn't been aware when he'd opened his eyes again.

She blinked. "I'm sorry, just hold still."

His eyes widened; they were dark and blood shot. "Who are you?"

That was the eleventh time he'd asked her that since she'd been there. "I'm Sage. I'm helping, now please don't move."

He watched her carefully; he seemed more awake than he had other times. "What happened?"

"You were hurt in a fight. I didn't see exactly what happened to you, but you were injured quite badly," she explained as she tossed away the cotton ball, and replaced the old messy gauze, with new clean material. "You just need to rest."

"Where are my friends?" he asked confusedly.

"They are around, mostly resting," she watched him carefully. "But they aren't hurt, at least, not any worse than you."

"That's good," the long haired teen sighed contentedly. "All I remember is that crazy strip joint and that freaky ass dog."

"Von Roehm," Sage nodded. "He did quite a number to your hands."

Instinctively, the boy tried to move his fingers; and predictably, he seized up with pain and let out a loud groan. The movement from the muscle contractions caused further pain to him, and he began a coughing fit. "Ow…fuck!"

Sage placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him down. "I said not to move."

"Thanks," he spat.

Well, at least he wasn't whining for Jell-O like that little wart across the hall had been. "You're welcome. Now do me a favor, and take my advice."

He snorted at that and raised a splinted hand gingerly to his face to move his hair away from his eyes. It took him a couple of tries, but he eventually got it to where it satisfied him. "How come you're in here? No offense or anything, but I don't know you…"

She shrugged. "It's my turn."

"So they haven't forgotten all about me then," Lance chuckled to himself hoarsely. "At least they're not good for nothing."

"They care," Sage assured him. "They are very worried, but I don't mind lending a hand especially since you did that for me."

He nodded his head. "Well…thanks. I guess."

"It's not a problem," she told him. "I don't want to freak you out or anything, but I have to check on the rest of your injuries."

Lance perked an eyebrow. "Fuck, how many are there?"

Sage shrugged. "You want an exact number or just a rough estimate?"

"From what I hear, you only do exact," the rock tumbler shrugged. "Although, I just wanna know what to be prepared for so I don't go making an idiot out of myself."

"You have a head injury; we don't know how bad it is or how it will affect you, but whatever it was it affected your eye sight and bruised the base of your skull very badly." She eyed him for permission to continue, and did so when he nodded. "Your rib cage seems to be cracked, although I doubt it's bad enough to fear for your lungs. Your back is also badly bruised and scraped, but lucky for you there seems to be no nerve or spinal damage."

"Well I guess that's good," Lance rolled his eyes.

"You also have fractured hands and a lot of open wounds on them from your fight with Friedrich. They looked pretty bad, so Gambit splinted them as best he could -- so try not to move them." Sage bent over to take a look at the boy's leg. "There's a pretty nasty cut here that was bleeding really badly all through the first night back…so Gambit and I did our best to stitch it up."

Lance paled. "You…y-you gave me stitches!?"

She shrugged. "It was either a home made job or you bled to death, take your pick."

"God, I feel sick," he moaned.

"Well don't worry," she assured with an irritated glare. "You puked enough that you probably don't have anything left to throw up. Your stomach is quite empty."

"What the hell? Shouldn't I've been to a doctor by now? What the fuck?" Lance coughed and grimaced in pain.

"Probably," the girl conceded. "You try talking Mystique into it though."

Lance shook his head. "That does not fucking surprise me at all…"

The girl sighed and dabbed another cotton ball along the leg laceration. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just don't do anything stupid to injure yourself further."

Lance glared at her miserably. "Well I don't think I'll be going anywhere any time soon, do you?"

Sage stared at him calmly. "I doubt it, but that hasn't stopped you from using your powers, which you aren't entirely immune to their affects, you know." (1)

Lance eyed her, but didn't bother protesting the logic. "I guess."

"So try and keep that to a minimum," she told him, and then perked an eyebrow at him. "Especially when I'm trying to clean up your cuts."

"I can't control it!" he hissed. "Once I get to a certain point, I can't control what happens to my powers."

Sage watched him. "It seems to coincide with your emotions."

Lance looked uncomfortable at that declaration. "Or something like that."

"Well if you're in a great deal of pain, then that would make sense," she pointed out and dabbed at the cut some more. "I can get you some painkillers that would put you back to sleep if you want."

"How long have I been sleeping for?" he asked.

Sage blinked. "Two and a half days."

Lance's eyes widened. "No wonder I have to piss so bad."

Sage wasn't amused. "Too much information. I can help you to the bathroom, but you're on your own from there."

Lance rolled his eyes. "Thanks, but there was no way in hell I would ask you to help me do that ever anyways."

That made Sage chuckle. "Well, that covers that then."

"Right," Lance muttered as he slowly sat himself up; he guarded his arms across his ribs as he did so. "God I feel like crap."

"Good observation," Sage grinned, and helped pull him up by his free arm. "Once you walk a little more your body should loosen up a bit."

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Lance questioned, looking a bit uncomfortable again.

"Sure," Sage shrugged.

"Has anyone…you know…been by the house to see me? Or called me or anything?" he tried to act nonchalant, but Sage could see the hope in the boy's eyes.

"Uh…" she scratched the back of her head and sighed. "No one has been here, but I don't know about a phone call. I never heard about one."

"Oh," Lance sighed; he looked quite disappointed.

"But that doesn't mean there wasn't," Sage tried again. "I just don't feel comfortable answering the phone. Maybe one of your friends talked to her?"

"Her?" Lance scoffed. "I never said anything about…"

"You didn't have to," she smiled at she helped him across the room. "I could read it all over your face."

* * *

"You should've seen it, Amara!" Tabitha laughed into the phone. "The look on Todd's face was priceless! Pietro can be so funny sometimes." 

Amara scoffed on the other end. "I don't know what you see in him, Tabitha."

The blonde rolled her eyes and pushed herself further against her pillows. "Why do you always say that? You said the same thing about John, and every other guy I ever dated."

"That's not true," Amara insisted. "I didn't have any problem when you tried dating some of the boys here at the institute."

Tabby rolled her eyes. "I didn't date them; I just had fun hanging out with them, that's all."

"Tabitha," Amara scolded. "You shouldn't talk so recklessly like that. You sound like you only go for boys to get something out of it, and then forget all about them."

The blonde sighed, and twirled a lock of hair between her fingers. "It's just fun, Amara. It's not like I slept with them all."

"That's not what _they_ say," Amara sighed sadly. "Boys talk dirty things, you know."

"Only because they're chauvinistic pigs," Tabitha snorted. "Besides, half of them lie anyways. Don't you remember that one time that I caught Roberto saying that stuff to Sammy about me?"

Amara giggled. "I've never seen Sam's face turn so red."

Tabby smiled at the thought of the Southern boy. "That's because Sam blushes at everything. He sees a bathing suit and passes out."

Amara laughed. "Well he didn't approve of what Roberto said either."

Tabby grinned. "Neither did I. That kid can be such an ass. I would like to stuff a timebomb in his shorts."

"Well he's not too different from Pietro, you know," Amara told her seriously. "He's been with half of Bayville High!"

Tabby rolled her eyes at the phone. "So? That's the past."

"He was with most of them at the same time!" Amara yelped. Tabby could practically see her blushing through the phone. "Don't you think he'd cheat on you?"

Tabby shrugged, and acted like the thought didn't bother her at all. "Pietro can do what he wants, but I doubt he would anyways. It's not like we're married or anything, but I think I keep him busy enough."

"Well, didn't you say you were sick in bed a couple days ago?" Amara questioned.

Tabby sighed. "Yes."

"Well do you even know where he was when you were stuck in bed feeling bad?" Amara asked, this time a lot quicker. "He was at the school! I saw him."

Tabby blinked. "So? He has friends there."

"I doubt he's friends with X-23," Amara stated. "_X-23_ doesn't invite people to school to come flirt with her."

Tabitha almost sputtered; X-23? Why was Pietro hanging around that crazy girl_ again_? It was bad enough that she had already caught him spying on her, and now he was going out of his way to visit with her? Since when does Pie do that anyways? Tabitha swallowed. "I doubt he was flirting with her."

"I think he was," the other girl replied. "She didn't even beat him up or hit him once!"

"You say that like it's an accomplishment," Tabitha muttered.

"It is, sort of."

"Whatever, look Amara can we talk about something else?"

"Fine, did your _awesome_ boyfriend tell you that he has another sister? One who actually lives at Xavier's?" Amara exclaimed like it was the hottest of the mansion gossip.

"What?!" Tabitha nearly sputtered again. "When the hell did that happen, and why didn't he tell me that?"

"I have no idea," Amara replied. "All I know is that this girl came out of no where saying she was Magneto's daughter! She's been living with us for weeks, and no one even knew!"

Tabitha frowned. "That's…weird. I wonder why he didn't say anything."

"Well between flirting with X-23 and being mean to Lorna, he didn't seem like he cared," Amara told her.

"Right. Look, can I let you go? I have to go eat supper or something stupid like that," Tabitha stated. "I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. But don't be mad at me, 'kay? I'm just looking out for you."

"I know, 'mara. Talk to you later."

"Bye, Tabitha."

The blonde girl sighed and tossed the cordless phone to her mattress before slowly pulling herself from her bed to stand. She knew that what she and Pietro had was fairly loose, but she couldn't help but feel that they'd grown just _a little_ closer over the last few weeks. At any rate, she was sure she had a right to know what was going on and if he was after someone else. She'd grown rather fond of the speedster, and she wanted to know if she had to share him -- and of course she'd have to scare whoever it was off too.

She had to talk to him about this nonsense once and for all.

* * *

Remy glided through the park at a quick pace. The faster he got to his destination, the better. It was too hot that day to wear his duster, so he settled with a black nirvana t-shirt, and a pair of dark green cargo pants with enough pocket space to put him at ease. He also wore a pair of dark sunglasses that kept his eyes from being exposed; he was not at all in the mood for a confrontation after the last couple days he'd had. 

The Cajun veered off the main walking path of the park and jumped over a small wooden border fence that stood in front of a patch of trees and other foliage. Remy liked the spot because of the trees; they weren't the same kind he'd find back home in Louisiana, but they still provided a nice sense of security and privacy.

Once he made his way through the short patch, he came into a small grass clearing. There on a bench next to a small duck pond was the person he was seeking out. "Rogue?"

The girl whipped her head around and smiled. "Remy."

The Cajun let his smirk drop and be replaced with a smile as he approached her. "How've ya been, mon amour?"

She pulled him in for a tight hug as he sat next to her. "Ah guess Ah've been alright. Sure was a couple a quiet days without ya around ta bug meh though."

He grinned at that. "What can I say? I live to enrage ya."

"Don't Ah know that," she rolled her eyes and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Ah almost couldn't get outta the damn mansion ta see ya. Magneto's been insane about makin' sure Ah'm not runnin' around with y'all anymoah."

Remy sighed irritably. "I hate that ya work for 'im, chere."

"Ah don't have a choice," Rogue pointed out. "But ya did, and ya still worked foah him."

Remy nodded in agreeance. "It's true, but this here Cajun deserved the trouble he got for it. And I at least got paid for dealin' wit' his bullshit. Ya don't though."

Rogue's gaze fell, and she held his hand with her gloved one. "Well Ah'm just forced ta believe he's turned over a new leaf, ya know? Ah still don't trust him, so Ah keep mah eye on him. Don't ya worry."

"I wouldn't worry about ya, I know ya can take care of yourself," Remy grinned at her and kissed the top of her forehead. "But that don't mean I like it."

"Ah know," Rogue sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Tell meh what ya've been upto. Ah haven't heard from ya in awhile."

Remy looked at her. "We were on a mission, is all. Things have been a little hectic around the house. We got a new team member."

Rogue perked her head up and looked at him. "Who in their right mind would willingly move inta that house?"

"You," Remy smiled at her, and nudged her with his elbow gently.

"Very funny," she snorted and returned her head to his shoulder. "Ah never woulda went there if it wasn't foah Mystique."

"Ah know, chere," Remy agreed. "Blue bitch has that affect on people."

"Ah hate her," Rogue piped up.

"I'm sorry I brought her up," Remy replied.

"Don't worry, it's not like mah head'll melt if Ah hear her name," the girl snorted bitterly.

"Well that's good, chere, because if ya're head melted I'd be forced to drag around your headless body," Remy joked.

"And ya would too, wouldn't ya?" she laughed.

"What other choice would I have, Rogue?" Remy sighed woefully. "Don't think I would give up on ya that easily."

"That's good ta know that ya'd love meh without a head," Rogue snorted. "Where on Earth did Ah find ya, swamp rat?"

"Ah…let's not get into that conversation, chere," Remy chuckled; no need to bring up past explosion attempts and kidnappings. The Cajun ran his hand through his hair and leaned back on the bench next to his girlfriend. "I missed you, Rogue."

She was quiet for a few moments before she finally looked up to him. "It's kinda hard pullin' this off, Remy."

"What? Us bein' together?" he perked an eyebrow up over his sunglasses and frowned. "I thought we've been through this."

She rolled her eyes. "Ah'm not talkin' about trust and commitment this time. Ah'm talkin' about this sneakin' around and potentially havin' ta fight each other."

"Oh right, _morals_," Remy snorted at her glare. "I told ya already, chere, that I'm willin' to get away from the team once and awhile to spend time wit' ya. It ain't like any of 'em are gonna go an' tell on me or nothin'."

"That's not the point," Rogue sighed. "Ah don't think y'all really realize just how serious the Professah and Magneto are takin' y'all as threats."

"An' what? Ya think it's justified and that I'm a threat to ya, chere?" Remy questioned her, and turned on the bench so that he was fully facing her. "I would not harm a damn hair on yer head, an' ya know that."

A sad smile played at her lips. "Ah don't think ya'll hurt meh, Rem. That's not mah point. Mah point is that Ah have responsibilities to mah team. The Professah takes care of us, and has expectations…"

"And?" Remy looked out across the distance of the pond.

"Ah can't live mah life lyin' to him. Hell Remy, do ya know how hard it is sneakin' around a telepath?"

"Ya sure do speak highly of him," Remy chuckled bitterly, and removed the arm that was wrapped around Rogue's neck seconds before. "An' who says he already doesn't know what ya're doin', chere? He does know!"

"Because he doesn't go into our heads unless he's got permission!" she hissed.

"That ya know of," Remy pointed out. "He ain't all ya crack him up to be, ya know. He's done some pretty ugly things, chere."

"So have you!" she spat angrily. _That_ hit Remy where it hurt, too.

He masked his hurt, and clucked his tongue. "Well, chere, at least ya know about my deeds. All's I'm sayin' is that ya should consider things before ya go makin' any big heartfelt decisions."

She seethed. "Ah wasn't gettin' ready ta dump ya, Remy! Don't be so stupid!" she huffed and folded her arms across her chest. "All Ah was sayin' is that this is gettin' hard ta do, and Ah think that maybe we should give it some thought as ta where you see us in the future."

That made Remy squirm. "Why can't we just keep doin' what we're doin'? It's worked for the last year!"

She glared at him. "And ya expect us to be together when we're thirty like this? Y'all goin' around terrorizin' people, X-Men comin' after y'all, and the two of us passin' a kiss along the way?"

Remy groaned. "I don't wanna think 'bout bein' thirty!"

"Well!" Rogue waved around her arms for emphasis. "Maybe the future ain't so important ta ya, but it's somethin' Ah think about!"

That made Remy smile. "Aw, ya're such a girl, chere."

"Shut the hell up," she grumbled.

He leaned back against her and pulled her into a hug against his chest. "Whatever happens, mon amour, all I know is I want us to be together. Whatever fight I have to get into, or lies I have ta tell…I don't care. Ya're more important."

"But what if we have ta fight each other?" Rogue whispered against him.

"Oh, that's nothin'," Remy dismissed with a grin. "Ya beat me up, an' I enjoy it. Simple as that."

"You're such a masochist," she laughed.

"So?"

* * *

Tabitha bumped into Pietro in the hallway as he was leaving the washroom. The speed demon looked as though he'd just come out of the shower, and had a strange look on his face when he finally noticed her watching him. 

"We need to talk," she stated.

His stoic expression never faltered, and he shrugged. "I have to go check on Toad."

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "He's not gonna die if you wait like ten minutes. Besides, I'm supposed to be one of your patients right now too!"

Pietro rolled his eyes right back at her. "You're fine, Tabitha. You just want attention."

"I have a headache, actually," she retorted. "And it's being caused by annoyance, and you need to come fix it."

Pietro's icy stare remained fixed on her face. He did not look to be in the mood at all that afternoon, and he had in fact been acting different for the past few days. He was quieter than usual, and was surprisingly focusing on things the team needed him to do for once. If what Amara told her rang true, then it would explain his behavior.

"Let's just go somewhere else," Pietro muttered and walked past her to her room. Tabitha spun on her heel and followed him inside, and closed the door behind them.

"I spoke with Amara today," Tabitha folded her arms over her chest and watched him as he fell gracelessly back onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. "She said she saw you at the high school the other day."

His expression never changed. "Yeah? And what did that hussy have to say?"

Tabitha glared at the insult. "Oh maybe that you were acting like an asshole, Pie!"

"Well that doesn't surprise me," he scoffed, still staring at the ceiling. "Someone doesn't bow down to the fucking princess and suddenly they're an asshole."

"She told me what happened," Tabitha announced.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Pietro told her.

"Oh, I don't think so!" Tabitha shouted. "We're _so_ not playing this game, Pietro! You know damn well what I'm talking about!"

He didn't say anything.

"So you weren't even going to tell me?" she scoffed. "Having another sister is pretty fucking big, Pietro!"

"You shut up!" he sat up so quickly and raced to stand in front of her, that she nearly fell over. He glared angrily at her. "You have no idea what the deal is with her, or me, or any one else in my family for that matter! So don't you dare try pulling this shit!"

"So what you're just going to keep things from me? This is a big thing, Pietro! I've told you all kinds of things about my family and my childhood -- including things I've done that I'm not proud of," she smoothed her hand through her hair, feeling all kinds of hurt by his reaction. "I want to be there for you, and if you're going to keep things from me and lie, then I don't see how this is supposed to work between us!"

The side of his lip twitched in annoyance. "Okay, Magneto went out and had some fling with some girl just after my mom died!"

Tabitha winced. "You've never even told me about your mom."

"Why should I?!" he yelled at her. "She died giving birth to me!"

"I'm sorry," Tabitha told him, but it didn't help fix his anger at all.

"She died because of me, and then I get left behind to be raised by that fucking freak bastard that calls himself my father! Who, without a fucking care that he just lost his wife, goes and knocks up some other woman, and I only just found out!" he breathed heavily and scowled. "Is that what you wanted to hear, Tabitha? Do you feel better now that all the fucking attention is on you at my expense?"

"Pietro, I didn't mean to…" she swallowed hard. "Look, I had no idea! You've never said anything, so how was I supposed to know it would upset you so much? I've never seen you act like…"

"Like what?" he spat. "An out of control freak with emotions? Well look at that, something else runs in the family."

She winced at his bitterness and held a hand out to touch him, but he peeled back away from her like she burned him. "Pietro…"

"I'm not in the mood," he spat and walked past her toward the door. "Just mind your own business."

"I'll drop it, fine," she nodded. "But would you at least care to explain to me what the hell you've been doing with X-23?"

The speed demon's body froze as he stopped in the doorway, and he didn't look back to acknowledge her. "Nothing."

"It doesn't sound like nothing," Tabitha replied, swallowing the bundle of nerves she had all of a sudden. "What's the deal with freak girl that's got you so interested?"

"I _wouldn't_ associate with a freak," he spat arrogantly.

Tabitha narrowed her eyes at that. "Do you even know anything about that chick then?"

Pietro didn't say anything, and his back was still facing her. She could tell by his posture that he was trying hard to keep his emotions in check; Pietro hated when he showed any kind of vulnerability, and he'd already showed her enough in the last few minutes. Anything that was going to happen now would just be him hiding behind his cocky façade once again. She sighed irritably.

"I know all I need to know about her," he muttered before walking out of the room, and leaving Tabby alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Lorna had just finished pulling on her pajamas - a purple tank top and flannel pants - when a knock sounded on the door. The green haired girl looked at Theresa, who only shrugged. "Come in!" the red headed girl yelled loudly. Lorna smirked at her room mate. 

Their laughter died down however when they saw who was at the door. It was her father. Lorna had been purposely avoiding him for the past few days, save for when their team had Danger Room sessions. She sighed and looked at him. "Yes?"

The older man just looked at Theresa. "Siryn, would you mind if I had a word with Lorna?"

"Aye, not at all," she quickly hopped to her feet and gave Lorna a reassuring nod. "I'll bring us up some snacks while I'm down. Sound good ta ye?"

Lorna nodded. "Sure."

Theresa quickly slipped past Magneto and out the door, leaving the green haired girl and her father alone in the room. Lorna felt nervous standing in front of him right then; an awkward silence settled over the room, and she wanted to so badly fly out the window and never come back. "Good evening, Lorna," he started.

That was _not_ good. His voice sounded cold and mechanical…which could only mean that he was not happy about something.

"Good evening, father," she whispered.

"I just wanted to let you know that I had a discussion with Charles today, and I learned of something I thought would be important for us to discuss," he levitated across the room until he was standing right in front of her. "Is there something you would like to tell me?"

Lorna swallowed nervously, and tried to think about what exactly he could be angry about. The first thing that came to her head was Bobby. "I…don't think so."

His eyes narrowed in an annoyed manner. "There's been rumors going around the institute, and I would like them cleared up."

She swallowed. "I'm sixteen, dad. I think I'm old enough to date now."

He gave her a weird look. "What nonsense are you talking about dating?" Lorna realized that perhaps her father wasn't talking about Bobby after all. Something seemed to click in his head though, and his eyes widened. "You better not be seeing that Summers boy!'

Lorna scrunched up her face. "No."

He gave her a weary stare. "Good, he is much too whiney for my tastes."

"I'm seeing Bobby Drake," she responded bravely.

His face fell. "And you think he is any better, Lorna!? That boy…"

"Dad, stop!" Lorna rolled her eyes. "I don't want to listen to that fatherly stuff. You're not good at it."

He glared at her. "Watch what you say to me."

"Sorry," she muttered and folded her arms. "But you wanted to talk about something? I don't want to sidetrack you." Nice cover up, indeed.

Recognition flashed in his eyes, and his frown deepened. "Charles heard from some of the other students that they were now all fully aware of our relationship?"

Lorna nodded hesitantly. "Yes, I think so. But that's okay, isn't it? I don't see the need to hide it."

"Fine, but that's not what I'm upset about," he said, his voice changing tones to a more annoyed one. "I'm more upset about how they found out."

Lorna's heart rate sped up. "Things go around the school, father…it's hardly something I can control…"

"You were speaking to _Pietro_," he snapped and cut her off. He spoke of her brother's name with such distaste. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"

Her jaw dropped, and that intense wave of grief she felt at seeing her brother for the first time returned to her. "I wasn't…"

"How did you find out about him?" he demanded.

"I heard stories…" Lorna blinked back hot tears. "I just…he looks _so much_ like you…"

Magneto's face turned into an angry scowl, and he pointed an angry finger in Lorna's face. "You are not to go anywhere near him!"

Her heart sank. "But he's your son!"

A look of disgust came over her father's face; she'd never seen that side of him before. "He is nothing but a criminal and a delinquent! And I will not have you exposed to him, and that is an order, Lorna!"

Her lip wobbled. "Father, he's…he's my brother! Why didn't you tell me?" tears began to fall, and she was ashamed at the weakness she showed in front of the man. "How could you not tell me I had siblings? And how can you be so cruel to them…"

He grabbed her roughly by the forearms and stared into her eyes. "Lorna! Don't you dare talk back to me! Those children are dangerous _threats_! Don't you understand? They were the ones responsible for those _murders_ and crimes, and now they are only planning more attacks! Can't you see, Lorna? You're the _only _child I have left that I have any hope for."

She let out a choked sob, and tried to pull her arms back. "Why? Why can't we help them!?"

Magneto let her go and spun on his heel to leave. "I do not want to hear of you ever contacting either of them again. If I do, you will suffer from severe consequences. Are we understood?"

She brought a hand up to her mouth and held back a sob as she nodded her head hurriedly. Tears clouded her sight, and all she could see was her father's blurry form exit the room and close the door behind him. Lorna Dane collapsed onto her bed, and buried her head in her hands. Things were crumbling around her, and she was absolutely devastated.

* * *

Sage pinched the bridge of her nose as she stared at the computer screens in front of her. After finally getting Lance cleaned up and settled back into bed, Mystique had beckoned her to come downstairs and take a look at her computer and information. The shape shifter did have a nice setup, but Sage had to spend a few hours tinkering with it to get it to where she felt was maximum performance. Mystique had pretty much given the merc full access and responsibility for their systems, so Sage figured she may as well get herself comfortable running it. 

And that had been hours ago. It was well into the night by that point, and her eyes were beginning to itch from staring at the screen. The information that the team had retrieved from their mission had been very detailed, complex, and thorough, and frankly Sage was a bit concerned at some of the things that she had read.

"Do you have anything for me yet?" Mystique asked as she entered the room with a mug of coffee in her hands.

Sage nodded and spun around in the desk chair to look at her. "What do you want to know first?"

"Just go from the start?" Mystique ushered with a wave of her hand. "Frankly trying to comb through this has just given me a headache, so please just start wherever necessary."

Sage nodded. "Very well. The first thing's first is that this organization is a lot more organized at second glance. They have their leader -- obviously Graydon, and he's got an entire structure of staff underneath of him ranging from body guards, to trained commandoes, to doctors and scientists, to thugs, to politicians. They've got _a lot_ of pull, and each person within has got a job title and orders."

"I suspected, but I didn't think they were that powerful yet," Mystique mused.

Sage nodded. "They've got the doctors and some of the scientists focusing on this virus. The data that you have shows the progress as of three months ago or so. I believe that they may be a lot closer to completion now."

Mystique visibly frowned. "How complete?"

Sage blinked. "Its hard to say without updates, but I analyzed their rate of work and speed compared to how many people they've got working on it and the time they've already spent on research and development, and I've concluded that it's entirely possible that they could already be in post development stages."

"Really?" she questioned angrily. "We may have to act sooner than I thought."

Sage shook her head. "I don't think they plan on releasing the virus just yet. They have an entire action plan, and this virus is just one step on the way to their goals."

"Which would be?"

"The registration Act, bills, laws, and monitoring system on all living mutants…possibly even 'security camps'," Sage stated. "And not only are they looking to pass such a bill in Congress, but they're eventually aiming for the United Nations. They're spreading internationally as we speak."

The shape shifter clenched her fist and cursed. "They are still based out of the US though?"

"The head quarters is still located here, yes," Sage replied. "But since your unit already infiltrated one major area, they may be ready to move quicker now."

"Then we'll have to get moving," Mystique announced. "We have to stop them now."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Sage told her. "For one, we have bigger concerns, and we have to take them out from the bottom up. And I don't know if you've forgotten, but about half of this team is in no condition to fight right now."

Mystique rolled her eyes. "We're only as strong as our weakest link. If they cannot fight without obtaining such injuries, then perhaps we should not bother with them at all."

"Listen, with all due respect, you _need _them," Sage stated. "In fact, we're going to need all the help we can get, especially against what should be our first attack target."

"And that would be?" Mystique snapped.

"The Sentinel program," Sage swallowed. "You need both Lance and Tabitha for that. Long range, energy based mutants that can dish out a great deal of destruction are going to be absolutely necessary. Even a trained fighter like myself would have a great deal of problems against a Sentinel…you should know that."

Mystique glared at her. "And it is absolutely necessary that we strike against the Sentinel program first?"

Sage nodded. "Yes. The Sentinels have already been upgraded and developed. The FOH is planning on releasing them first against any sort of mutant strike force that may get in the way. According to these documents, they have a list of test subjects that they have been using against these new models. Live mutants."

Mystique glowered. "They have test subjects?!"

"Yes," Sage confirmed. "And these new Sentinels are more deadly and destructive than the last. This is going to sound really strange, but…"

"But what?" Mystique snapped. "How on Earth can it get any worse?!"

Sage sighed and rubbed her hands up and down her face before staring at her leader. "Remember that 'thing' that you couldn't figure out that was developing the Sentinels in Trask's place?"

"Yes," Mystique perked up at that. "Did you find out something about it?"

Sage nodded. "It's kind of complicated, but from what I read you're looking at a half man…half Sentinel."

"You're kidding me," Mystique muttered. "How can that be possible?"

Sage bit her lip. "There isn't much here from what I can see. All I know is that somehow this _being_ was developed in an FOH lab with help from old Sentinel blueprints. They call him Bastion."

Mystique looked livid. "Good work. You're free to go for the night, but I want you back down here first thing in the morning to find some more about this."

Sage nodded and stretched as she stood from her seat. "You seem very eager. I get the impression that this is a little more personal for you than just mutant rights."

Mystique eyed her warily. "I have my reasons."

"Like Graydon?" Sage questioned, careful not to let her face reveal any sort of opinion on that matter.

Mystique glared. "He is a disgrace."

"Maybe so," Sage pointed. "But you have to be careful not to let your vendettas control your strategy. Important things must come first, and personal matters second."

"I will do what I feel needs to be done!" she growled.

"At the expense of your team though?" Sage shook her head. "Look, I'm just speaking from a technical point of view that at the rate you're going, you're going to fail. You need your people one hundred percent, and you need to go in with tactics that aren't blinded by your family problems."

"I give the orders around here, okay? Tactics are my responsibility, so just you mind your business and do what you're paid to do," Mystique snapped.

Sage only stared her down for a few moments before nodding. "Of course."

* * *

The entire Brotherhood house was quiet by 3am. Everyone had gone to sleep -- except of course, the night watch. John and Wanda sat side by side in the middle of the hall keeping an ear open for any of the sick or injured mutants. 

John laughed and released another fireball into his hand. "I don't wanna play this game anymore, Sheila." Without even so much as a warning, the flame jumped from his fingertips and landed in the pile of cards in front of them.

Wanda glared, and hexed his hand. "You idiot! That was our last pack!"

"We live with Gambit!" John laughed as he kept trying to use his powers against her hex. "I steal stuff from him all the time."

"And God knows what kinda crap that guy has hidden around his stuff," Wanda shuddered and looked at John. "And you have to share a room with him."

The Aussie laughed and nodded. "Ya learn a lot about a person that way. I can even tell you how often he ja…"

"Don't!" Wanda shrieked. "Are you serious?!? That's disgusting!"

John snorted in laughter and fell sideways to the floor. "I was gonna say jabbers on the phone with his girlfriend about sickeningly sweet things…but hey, whatever, love."

Wanda felt her face burn and she slapped him hard in the arm. "You irritate me!"

"Ya love it," he teased and grabbed her hand as he continued to laugh at her. "Ya shoulda seen yer face!"

She let their hands fall to his thigh as she gave up on assaulting him. "You're lucky I don't throw you down the stairs."

"And hurt this pretty face?" he grinned at her and pulled himself back up into a sitting position. "Ya would never do somethin' so blasphemous!"

"Why did I agree to date you again?" she groaned.

A big grin passed on his face before he threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "Because I'm cute and cuddly and you love me!"

She rolled her eyes at him. "I never knew you to be so full of yourself."

"I'm not really," he winked. "I'm just sensationally giddy at the moment."

She snorted at that. "Sensationally?"

"Quite!" he exclaimed before leaning in to kiss her. She jumped at the surprise contact; she still had to get used to him and his random flinging of himself on her. She didn't mind all that much though. The witch raised her arms and wrapped them around his messy haired head, and returned the gesture happily. John slipped his arms down her back until they rested on her hips, and he pulled her closer to his body. And the second she pulled away from his lips, all hell broke loose.

John flew back against the wall with a loud 'oomph!' and clawed at the dark green slime stuck to his face. Wanda was so surprised at the sudden attack that it didn't even occur to her to move from her spot; her mind was still processing what was going on. Toad flew past her and landed feet first on her boyfriend's chest, throwing his putrid little fists at his slime covered face. John groaned and kicked his feet in an attempt to get the reptile off.

Wanda glared and stood from her spot on the floor and grabbed Todd by the hair. "What the hell are you doing!?"

"I saw what he did to you, Poopsie! No man will treat you that way! I'll see to it!" the teen squirmed in Wanda's grip.

John spit a few times and wiped a way at his face. "Wha' the bloody hell was tha' fo'?" he spit a few more times to rid the taste from his mouth.

Todd didn't even give him a chance to finish before sliming him again. John fell back with a groan again. Wanda glared and tightened her hold on Todd, and threw him backwards. "Are you brain dead! I should kill you, you little wart!" the witch's hands glowed an eerie shade of blue in the darkened hallway, and she pointed a finger at the Toad.

"I'm just tryin' to help ya!" Todd crawled to her feet. "Wanda…"

She kicked him off and kneeled down next to John. The Aussie pulled his shirt off over his head and wiped frantically at his face so that he could breathe again. Wanda didn't necessarily want to touch the green goo, but she was so livid by that point that she didn't care. She wiped away at John's forehead and above his eyes in an attempt to help him.

"Cuddlebumps…what's goin' on?" Todd asked from the other side of the hall.

"What do you think?" she spat at him angrily.

"I'll kill that little git!" John growled and scrambled to get to his feet. Wanda glared and pushed him back down to the floor.

"No! Back off!" she yelled at him. She turned and glared at Toad. "Did you need something?"

"No…I just wanted to see you, pudding cup…"

"Todd! That's no reason for you to blow that disgusting spit of yours everywhere! You're lucky I don't hex your ass into the bathtub and drown you!"

"Ugh, let me shower first…" John groaned.

Toad looked at Wanda with a crestfallen face. "So you were really…?"

"Really what!?" she exclaimed.

"Kissing…_him_?!" Todd said with a disgusted look. Another growl escaped John, and Wanda pushed him back down again.

"Yes!" she hissed at him. "Now back off!"

"But Wanda…" Toad trailed off sadly, and gave her the biggest sad puppy eyes she ever saw. "I thought we were…"

Wanda slapped herself in the forehead in frustration. "We were never together, Todd! Don't you understand that now?"

He frowned. "But you can't be with _him_!"

"Why?" she rolled her eyes and waited for the stupid excuse.

"He used to work for your dad! Do you know what he did to y…" the green skinned teen was cut off by a massive fire ball blown at him. John got up way too fast for Wanda to even stop him, and the Aussie pounced on the amphibious mutant and grabbed his face.

"Ya better watch your mouth, clacker, or yer gunna be barbecued frog legs!"

Toad squeaked from under him.

Wanda threw her arms in the air in frustration. "You two are idiots! Toad get a fucking grip and get over yourself." The witch grabbed John by the elbow and pulled him toward her. "We have to go check on Mr. Broody."

Pyro glared at Todd dangerously. "Ya better watch yourself, and think twice 'bout bein' a show pony, mate!"

"What does that even mean, yo? We're in America!" Todd pulled himself from the floor clumsily.

"Both of you, shut up!" Wanda growled. "Fuck!"

John put a hand in the small of her back and led her toward Lance's room, leaving Todd alone and angry in the hall.

* * *

(1) Oh boy. Okay, so say you base Lance on Dominic Petros. Dom isn't immune to his powers whatsoever, and that leaves him with no protection from them at all if used subconsciously. But, if you base Lance off of Julio Richter (to which his powers are MUCH more similar to), Rictor was immune to his power's affects 100 percent. So, assuming since Lance's powers gave him headaches and pain, yet he was not affected at all by seismic energy movement, I decided to meet half way between Avalanche and Rictor and base Sage's comments on that. I hope that's not too confusing. 

**Next Chapter**: Todd and Tabby piss and moan; John and Wanda go on a date; the X-Men discuss their battle agenda; and Sage keeps Lance company.

**A/N**: I'm glad that you all didn't mind the extra character development last chapter; the chapters are going to start being longer. Also, I have a few extra scenes (deleted, I guess you can say) that I've got written up **for this very story** and posted on my LiveJournal if anyone is interested in reading them. You can keep reading this without them, but if you just want something a little extra, let me know and I will send you the links. That's all for this week, so until next time, please read and review!


	18. Talking it Out

**A/N**: I hate school. It's messing with my muse D: I am being forced to change my update schedule. Fridays are pretty much impossible for me to update on because I school for seven hours and then work for nine. I will be (hopefully) updating every Sunday now.

* * *

**Chapter 18 - Talking it Out  
**

* * *

"Charles? May I have a word?" the man known as Magneto spoke as he entered the War Room. 

"By all means, Eric, please," Xavier gave his old friend a warm smile and gestured to one of the many chairs around the briefing table. "Did you have some more information for me?"

"Yes," Eric confirmed before slipping a file toward him across the steel of the table. "I have confirmed the whereabouts of a FOH Sentinel warehouse in Baltimore. I've followed enough leads to determine there are living test subjects in the compound, and a new Sentinel design."

Xavier rubbed thoughtfully at his chin as he opened up the file. "This looks to be worse than I originally thought."

"It is indeed," Magneto agreed. "Some of the test subjects are only teenagers who were taken right off the streets. I'm unsure of their health status, but if they are indeed still alive this is now going to be both a demolition and a rescue effort."

Xavier sighed. "I may have to send Logan's team with you."

Magneto frowned. "That will not be necessary, Charles. I assure you."

"Eric, this is a big job," the Professor tried to argue. "I don't think we can risk anyone getting hurt…"

Eric stared at him. "Logan's team is still busy with their own problem. If they come along with us, that insane man claiming to be from the future, his patch eyed girlfriend, and their merry band of explosive idiots will blow something up." (1)

Xavier sighed. "Eric, the Sentinels are a magnificent enemy…"

"And between just Lorna and me a lot of those machines can be dealt with quickly. They are made of metal, Charles. Shadowcat and Iceman would also be able to put up an excellent fight with their abilities, and Colossus and X-23 can break things," Magneto lulled. "We've spent enough time fighting them in the Danger Room that we can put up a good fight, I have faith in them."

Xavier eyed the file in front of him warily. "This may be their largest mission yet, and one of the first as just one small team. I am only concerned because I know some of your team members have been having a difficult time adjusting to their new roles. I'm just considering the affects this objective may have on them."

"Their training has gone a long way," Magneto stated proudly. "I know they should have no problems."

"Then what of this scenario?" Xavier closed the folder and stared hard at Magneto. "What if the Brotherhood shows up?"

Eric's eyes were cold. "Then they are either cooperating with us, or they will be against us."

Xavier stared at him. "Do you realize that this may cause a lot of problems?"

"They have been warned," Magneto dismissed. "My team will not hold back."

Xavier watched him closely. "Eric, you have to weigh in all the factors here. Rogue will not fight Remy, and Kitty has been an emotional wreck with Lance. And have you given any thought at all as to what will happen when your children come face to face again? This very well may be a catastrophe!"

Magneto sighed. "Charles, the chances of the Brotherhood even showing up are small. As of right now they are still within city limits, and we can continue to monitor them up until we leave for Maryland."

"And when do you plan on doing that?" Xavier sighed.

"Three days," Magneto stood tall. "That is all I will need to prepare my team. They will be briefed, and have an extra training session tomorrow. I can also brief Hank and let him know that he can be prepared for a call if anything goes wrong.

Xavier sighed. "Eric, are we going to talk at all about what's going on with Lorna…and what happened with Pietro?"

Magneto only looked as though the thought did not bother him, even though Charles had been his close friend for so long, and knew better. It worried the Professor. "No, I do no see why we would have to do that."

"It is obviously an issue, that's why," Xavier reasoned. "And Lorna, she has been projecting thoughts for the past few days…"

"Charles, forget it. If I wanted to talk to someone -- which I do not, at all -- I would." The master of magnetism stood from his chair and began to pace the floor. "My children -- namely those who don't live here -- are not a subject I wish to discuss."

"When did it become so bad with them though? For awhile we were seeing progress."

Magneto snorted. "I said I wish not to discuss this."

"I understand that having children may be…" Xavier was cut off.

"No offense, Charles, but you do not do any sort of bonding with your son either. I hardly see your reasoning justified on your part," Magneto was beginning to look offended. "Wanda is only angry and spiteful, and Pietro is just a problem altogether. That's it, nothing more or less."

Charles sighed. "Fine, whatever you wish, Eric."

"And if they were to show up to the FOH compound and try and prevent me from peacefully taking down their ranks, then we will use force against them no questions asked. It's not a matter of question whatsoever."

"How do you plan on bringing down the FOH, by the way?" Xavier questioned; he wasn't getting anywhere with the Brotherhood matter, so he may as well try to approach the important question at hand.

Magneto seemed more interested in that. "I plan to have two task forces. I need one half of my team to take out the Sentinels, and the others to rescue the mutant prisoners. I will go into the fight with them to lead and assist if needed."

"Okay," Xavier commented. "And your teams?"

Magneto paused. "Rogue, Shadowcat, X-23, and Colossus to rescue, and Iceman, Lorna, and Magma with me against the Sentinels until the others can retreat back for assistance. Rogue can easily take out any non hostile individuals, while X-23 can deal with security. Colossus can deal with any injured mutants, and Kitty can deactivate security controls. My team will be a full on attack."

"And you're okay with Robert working with Lorna?" Xavier questioned.

"I have no choice," Magneto spat. "I need both of their abilities to fight off the machines, and I don't trust him enough to go out without my supervision."

"Of course," Xavier commented. "I want a full briefing before you leave. I want them to be prepared for anything -- including the Brotherhood."

Magneto rolled his eyes. "Of course."

* * *

John grinned as he held Wanda tightly by the hand, spun her around, and pulled her close. The witch's eyes only widened in surprise, and she bit her lip. "This place is ridiculous." 

"An' dark…an' empty," John cocked his head to the side and let his gaze fall to those full, red lips. "It's even got background music!"

She rolled her blue eyes. "It's haunted house music."

"Suits ya well then," he grinned. His hands caressed her sides. "In a wonderfully, complimentary way o'course."

"I can't believe you brought me to a carnival," she sighed. "I thought people only did that for dates in fifties movies."

"And I can't believe ya were scared o'heights," he joked before quickly kissing the tip of her nose. "Who woulda thought Miss Scary-lady would freak on the Ferris wheel?"

"I only punched you repeatedly because I felt like hurting you," she grumbled in an annoyed tone. "I wasn't scared."

"You lie," John whispered playfully before placing another quick kiss on her nose. "But it's okay, love…I won't hold it against ya."

Her face flushed, but she tried her best to look mean. "Like you even could."

"Try me," he teased before kissing her again, this time on the lips, and this time it lingered for longer than a quick second. John felt the witch smile against his lips, and the feeling brought him a whole explosion of happiness throughout his body.

"You know," she whispered, breaking away from him. "We could get caught in here. This is a kid's ride."

He pulled her swiftly behind a cobwebby coffin and lightly pushed her against the wood of it. "That just makes it more fun, love! Live a little," he teased and wrapped his arms around her waist.

She rolled her eyes; the blue of them twinkled even in the dark. "We're fooling around next to a coffin."

"We could always go inside if ya preferred that," he joked, and pressed his lips against hers. She kissed him back this time fully, and wrapped her arms around the back of his head. John hummed happily and leaned against her further, causing a loud groan to come from the old wooden coffin.

Wanda jumped in surprise as a wooden skeleton lunged out from the box and laughed madly in her face; bright red light bulbs lit up its eyes, and the large metal spring attaching it to the wood of the coffin caused the 'monster' to sway dangerously. The witch just glared at it before turning back to John. "You're an idiot."

"Hee! You got scared again!" he hugged her tightly, and placed a light kiss on her exposed neck. "Don't worry, baby, I'll keep ya safe." She snorted and held up a hand -- which unfortunately for him was glowing bright blue. "Uh…ulp?" he suggested before being tossed into a pile of fake tentacles. The long parts were made of some weird jelly, rubber substance, and the pyromaniac found himself getting tangled. "Wanda!" he groaned.

She stepped forward and placed her hands on her hips. "You deserved that!"

"I did not!" he laughed maniacally as he tried to free a leg. "We should fool around in haunted houses more often!" he giggled again.

She rolled her eyes and bent over to help him up. John grinned happily at her, and she only raised her eyebrows. "If you want me to help you up, you better take my hand now before I leave you here."

John laughed and gripped her hand tightly. "Welcome to the pit of love! And here, the pit gropes ya back!" he laughed loudly before pulling her off of her feet and into the rubbery mess and right on top of him. She let out a surprised yelp before she landed.

"JOHN!"

"Sssh!" he shushed her. "Someone will hear ya and we all know ya don't want that!"

"These are freaking tentacles!" she shrieked, which only caused John to laugh even harder.

"They're fake! If they were real then we'd be in all sorts of trouble! Ya know those movies and weird internet sites where tentacles always seem to molest people…" (2)

"Argh!" she whined. "You are such an asshole!"

"I find it rather arousing when you say that," he joked.

"You are so lucky…" she trailed off.

"I know!" he murmured and leaned closer to her face. "With ya layin' on top o'me I completely agree."

She blushed madly and slapped his chest. "Pig."

"Tease," he retorted.

She glared. "I am not a tease."

"Prove it," he challenged her, enjoying every moment of the frustrated, yet amused expression on her face.

She grabbed two fistfuls of his t-shirt and inched close enough to his face that he could easily feel her breath tickle his lips. "You _don't_ deserve it."

"Ouch," he smirked, and pulled her hips closer to him. "Ya know how many times I've heard that one?"

"Maybe you should learn to take a hint then," she snapped, even closer than before.

"Okay by me," he grinned and covered her mouth with his. She tensed at the abrupt action at first, but quickly regained her composure and returned the gesture. He couldn't help but get extremely turned on by the constant violence and bickering turned making out. As entertaining as Tabby was, he'd never had nearly as much fun with her.

The pyromaniac snaked his tongue between his lips and waited only half a second before Wanda too opened her mouth and her tongue met his. And it was only another few seconds later when their former blanket of tentacled darkness was replaced with a bright light that made John wince. "What the…"

"Excuse me!?" a loud, booming voice bellowed. Wanda snapped her head back so fast in surprise that she nearly fell off of John. The Aussie lifted his hand to shield his sensitive eyes from the glare of the flashlight.

"You are not excused!" he yelled. "Can't ya see I'm busy, bloke?"

"You're coming with me," the bigger man lowered his flashlight from John's face, and it was then that the pyromaniac noticed the rent-a-cop badge with the name _Sharon _on it. "Security," the man confirmed. (3)

"No shit," John muttered and attempted to fight off the rubbery squid legs from his body. This was not going to end well. Wanda was still sitting against John's side with wide eyes, seemingly not knowing what to do. "Let's jus' get outta here, Sheila…" John trailed off.

"I'm not going with him," she muttered.

He cocked his eyebrow. "Well…"

The security guard glared at them. "Get a move on!"

Before John could even tell the guy to go fuck himself and wait a second, all the power in the building went out. Just slightly he could feel Wanda trembling against him, and for some strange reason she seemed scared. The pyromaniac quickly grabbed her arm and began to struggle out of the rubbery pile they sat in.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Sharon yelled , obviously not liking being covered in darkness.

John giggled and pulled Wanda to her feet. "Smell ya later, piggy!"

The security guard groaned loudly and it sounded like he activated a walkie talkie. "Must be a couple of muties!"

The lights began to flicker, and John's assumptions that Wanda was the cause of the power outage were confirmed. "Let's get a move on, shall we, love?"

"I told you we'd get caught you idiot!" she hissed as she squeezed his hand.

"But it was worth it, wasn't it?" he cackled and reached into his pocket to retrieve his zippo. With a flick of his thumb, he released a small flame and summoned it into the air. He pocketed the lighter, and palmed the flame, using it as small guide to light their way out. "Do ya think he's followin' us?"

Wanda waved her hand and a bunch of coffins clattered to the floor and blocked the path behind them. "Let him try."

"You are so bad," he grinned and threw his arm around her waist as they ran.

"I've been told," she groaned and hugged him back.

* * *

"What are you doing, Froggy?" Tabby asked Todd as she walked out onto the front porch. The amphibious mutant had been rather quiet for the past few days, and it was awfully unlike him. The blonde girl took a seat next to him on the top step, and pushed his hair from his eyes. "It's getting pretty late, you know." 

He just shrugged. "I know."

"What's been eatin' you lately?" she asked again. "You still feeling hurt or whatever from the mission? I'm really sorry I blew us up."

He snorted and rested his chin on his knees. "No, it's not that, yo. I don't even really remember ya tryin' ta blow us up."

"Me neither, so I guess that works for me," she grinned and slung an arm around his shoulder. "So what's the big deal then?"

"Oh…uh, it's nothin' really," he squirmed underneath of her grip uncomfortably. Tabby scanned his face for any hints; a long frown touched his lips, and his eyes were soft and sad. Tabitha had never seen the usually rambunctious mutant like that.

"It doesn't look like _nothin_'," she shot. "You're moping around like a lost puppy dog, Toddy. It's even worse then when ya follow Wanda…"

Toad cringed.

Tabby's eyes widened in realization and she nodded. "It's Wanda?"

Todd shifted uncomfortably and looked away. "No, she's just _perfect_..."

"I didn't really think about it, Froggy," she sighed sympathetically. "I was too busy thinking about how ridiculously homicidal and violent those two are together to think that maybe her being with John would hurt you. I'm sorry."

He blinked and sighed sadly. "I don't think I ever really had a chance, yo…"

Tabby pulled him closer and hugged her friend. "Don't say that…"

He hugged her back. "Why not? It's true."

They pulled apart and the blonde gave him a serious look. "Look, Toddy…I know you really like her and everything but Wanda is screwed up. And I'm not just saying that because we don't really get along, but…she is seriously messed up in the head -- and I think you know that." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "It might not have even been a good or healthy thing even if you two were together."

He frowned. "But it's okay for her to be with _that_ psycho?"

"No, probably not…" Tabby sighed and gave him her most serious look. "John's…a bit complicated too -- trust me, I know. But the point is Toddy that you're great guy and I know that you'd do anything for someone that you love. And if Wanda can't see that, then it's her loss not yours. You deserve better than that -- she'd just abuse you anyways."

"Yeah, probably," Todd muttered. "It doesn't make it hurt any less, yo."

"Of course not," Tabby agreed. "But there are other girls out there, you know, that I'm sure would treat you well and not hurt you. And besides, for all we know those two may not even work out."

Todd nodded. "I just want her to be happy, yo. If she likes him -- that's just wrong! Do ya know what that asshole did to her?"

Tabby couldn't believe the venom in his tone. "Uh…kinda, but…"

"He led her right to Magneto! The old Buckethead made chop suey out of her head and put lies into her brain! That fire throwin' reject let it happen! I was there, and I saw it all!"

Tabby frowned. "Todd…"

"She doesn't even know it," he sighed so sadly. "He let it happen…if she knew…"

"It might be a really bad thing for _all_ of us if she did," Tabby told him. "I didn't know her before but from the impression I get, the whole thing might've been for the better."

Todd stared at her. "It…it is, kinda, yo. It's bad and shitty and horrible…but…she's different now."

Tabby reached over and squeezed his hand. "Then maybe you should consider leaving that bit of news to yourself."

He nodded. "I know that."

"Good," she too nodded, and looked out across the dark lawn in front of the boarding house. "There are others out there, just don't forget that, Froggy. Besides, lots of people have to go through the same thing you are."

He snorted. "Yeah like you'd know."

She frowned. "I do!"

Todd watched her. "When have you ever not gotten who ya wanted?"

Tabby sighed and her gaze dropped down to her feet. "It happens."

"Don't you have a boyfriend?" he asked suspiciously.

"I guess," she shrugged. "I don't know."

"Pietro?" Todd questioned, just to make sure.

Tabby didn't respond.

Todd returned the favor and wrapped his arms around her in a tight, friendly hug. "I don't wanna sound like an idiot or anythin'," he trailed off. "But maybe you should take your own advice, yo."

Tabby gave him a weak smile before leaning her head down on his shoulder. "It's easier said than done."

* * *

Lance stared at himself in the mirror and frowned; _fuck_, he looked like shit. His eyes were bloodshot and still a little puffy, but the black around them was gone for the most part. In fact, a lot of the bruising on his body had reduced to smaller, yellowish marks -- save for the tender area along his rib cage. He was feeling much better than he had all week, but he was still fairly tired and spent a good deal of time sleeping and healing. He and the others were fairly certain that he had a concussion of some degree -- with black eyes sprouting from banging his head so hard, it would make sense. Whatever it was though it was slowly improving. 

After removing the towel from his waist and getting dressed, Lance lazily shook a hand through his hair and exited the steamy bathroom. It was rather late for him to be showering; it was well into the night and most of the team was fast asleep. The rock tumbler hadn't done much in terms of exploring the house since they returned from New York, so he figured a time when it was quiet and dark would be best -- he was still quite sound and light sensitive.

Down in the living room, a low blue glow shone over the area. Sage was sitting in front of the TV stone faced and silent. Lance cleared his throat, but she didn't look up. "Can I sit with you?"

"I'm not going to stop you."

He perked an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

"Watching TV…and a movie."

"What?!" he was confused. "At the same time? I don't get it…"

The girl's blue eyes finally moved to look at him. "Never mind."

"Huh," the rock tumbler muttered and slowly limped his way over to the couch and settled on the opposite side from her. She barely looked at him as she continued to do whatever it was she was doing, but that didn't stop her from speaking to him again.

"Why are you awake?"

He shrugged awkwardly. "I slept all day."

"I'm starting to think you sleep all day on purpose just so you can avoid people," she told him.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Yeah, probably."

"Well, I think someone around here may actually be onto something then," she sighed amusedly. "I don't know how you tolerate some of the people here at times."

Lance snorted and distractedly watched the fucked up war documentary the girl had been viewing on Discovery. "I don't, really."

"Hmm," she sounded. "That would make sense then."

"Indeedy," the long haired teen replied noncommittally. "Can I change this shit?"

"I suppose, it's rather lackluster anyhow," she frowned. "That man was not using those weapons properly and it was getting on my nerves."

Lance eyed her warily. "I heard you keep guns under your pillow."

Sage rolled her eyes. "My bed, not my pillow."

"Still," he muttered. "Isn't that just a bit obsessive?"

She glared at him. "A force of habit, I suppose."

"Sorry," he rolled his eyes. "Its not like you've said much to let me know what it was you went through anyway. I'm not a mind reader like you."

"You say that like I use that to my advantage," she scoffed. "I hardly use my telepathy unless I really need to."

"Whatever," Lance shrugged.

"And it's not like any of you really divulge information about yourselves either," Sage pointed out. "I can tell you that a great deal of your teammates keep most things to themselves, so I hardly see your accusations as justifiable."

" And you think I'm one of those people?" he questioned.

"I _know_ you are," she said calmly. "Perhaps you aren't the worst for it, but you're right up there in rank for keeping to yourself."

He snorted and glared at her. "If you say so."

"I _never_ just 'say' things," she told him.

"I think I've noticed that," Lance replied. He tried to back off a bit; he thought she was kind of cool, so he didn't want to come off as a complete asshole. "Sorry."

"It's alright," she told him. "I don't blame you for it."

He eyed her warily. "Should I say thanks for that?"

"Do whatever you want," Sage replied. "I'm just saying. You have every reason not to trust people."

He glared. "Great, how encouraging."

"As appropriate as our goals are, I have to wonder what the intentions are of particular people on this team, namely Mystique," she told him seriously. "You realize that she is preparing for another mission within the next couple of days and half the team is still recuperating?"

Lance frowned at that. There was no way in hell that he would be affective in any sort of fight for at least another couple of weeks. He would never say no though and look like a pussy in front of the team -- especially since its one he's supposed to be leading -- but Lance would probably only be able to take so much damage before being taken out of a fight rather quickly. But somehow, after the cold treatment the injured mutants got from Mystique last week, the new piece of information did not surprise him that much.

"What else does she have planned? Is she only sending in half a team?" he questioned.

Sage shrugged and didn't make eye contact. "Who knows what's going on in her mind, all I know is that she may be taking her own personal issues with Graydon and putting them before the actual goals of our mission." She shifted on the couch finally so that she was actually facing him. "At first I didn't even care enough to say anything, but I somehow feel you deserve to know. You keep putting your life on the line…and I guess I told you so that I could return the favor."

Lance shrugged uncomfortably. "You already did. You put up with my shit when I was hurt."

She shrugged. "Whatever. I don't let people rot and die."

"How kind of you," he couldn't help but chuckle at that declaration. "But to tell you the truth I don't know how effective I would be in a fight right now."

She looked at him carefully. "As long as no one gets near you, there shouldn't be a problem."

"But we can't guarantee that," he muttered irritably. "So far I've gotten the shit kicked out of me on _both_ missions."

"You have…power potential, you know," she began. "With your ability it would be easy to keep people at bay to defend yourself."

Lance stared at her, getting the idea. "And you could 'jumpstart' that potential for me? What are we talking here?"

Sage's blue eyes scanned him. "It's hard to say. I can't predict it, all I know is that its there. We could take the risk and try it, but the process is irreversible."

He thought carefully for a few moments; did he really want to fuck around with his powers…with his DNA? He would be more powerful; perhaps in better control or even rid himself of the massive headaches and other pains that came along with his power usage. For all he knew, he could end up having a more direct control with a much bigger destruction ability…but at the same time, he could end up with something he'd have no control over at all, and with his power type that could put a lot of people into a really bad and potentially fatal situation.

The last thing he needed was to kill any more people.

He stood from his spot on the couch and gave Sage a polite smile. "I think I'll pass this time around. I'm feeling a little tired, so I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

Sage gave him a small smile before nodding. "Sure; sleep well."

* * *

Bobby looked over to the girl next to him and frowned; she hadn't said a word in nearly twenty minutes -- and she'd been acting quiet for a few days. One arm was pillowed under her head as she stared up into the night sky, while the other was draped loosely over her stomach. Bobby reached over and placed his hand on top of hers. "Are you okay?" 

She didn't look at him. "I think so."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently.

Lorna sighed. "I just…I'm confused. My father, he…" she trailed off and focused hard on the night sky above them. "I've never seen him act so _cruel_."

Bobby winced; he was quite sure that he'd seen Magneto do things that Lorna would never dream of. And of course, his opinion would be a little biased considering the ice man and the master of magnetism weren't exactly on the best of terms at that moment. "You've been upset for days, Lorna. Whenever you want to tell me what happened…"

The green haired girl squeezed his hand and finally looked at him. "I met my brother."

Bobby's eyebrows furrowed. "Pietro?!"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"You didn't…?" Bobby pushed himself up, mess from the shingles on the roof sticking to his hands as he did so. "I thought you would've…you seriously hadn't met him before?"

She shook her head. "I'd never even heard of him until I moved here. I kept hearing his name pop up around the Institute…and then someone mentioned something about my father and Pietro being his son…"

Bobby looked down at her; she still laid lazily on her back on the roof of the mansion distantly staring off into the night sky. "Yeah…Pietro used to work for him, as far as I know. He used to be friends with Evan, or something, which is why you probably heard about him."

Her eyes watered slightly, but she made no move to blink back the tears. "I had no idea, and for awhile I was curious…but I didn't want to say anything to my dad."

"Why?" Bobby asked her; he was completely bewildered.

"I…I don't know. Something inside of me told me to just leave it alone," a tiny, stray tear leaked out the corner of her eye and trailed down her face. "I didn't want to think my father would hide something so huge. Then I started hearing things about Wanda, and since she had the same last name as Pietro…it just started clicking together."

Bobby swallowed. "Yeah, she's Pietro's twin."

Lorna nodded. "As soon as I saw him I knew. He's got the same face, the same blue eyes…oh my god," she sniffled. "…Pietro is like a spitting image of my father."

Bobby frowned and moved to lie down next to her once more. "What did he…did you talk to him?"

She nodded, a pained expression falling over her face. "Yeah for a few moments."

Bobby rolled onto his side and wiped the tears with his thumb. "And how did…what did he do?"

"He was angry, but he has every right to be," she whispered. "He had no idea I existed either."

"Well, Pietro he can be…" Bobby trailed off. "What?" Lorna was giving him a penetrating look.

"Will you…" she took a deep breath. "Will you tell me about them?"

His eyes widened nervously. "Uh…what do you want to know?"

She eyed him with big, hopeful green eyes. "Anything…I just _need_ to know. My father won't tell me a thing…" she clutched on to his hand. "I'm not supposed to see Pietro again, but…I just need to know something about them, _anything_."

Bobby swallowed. "Lorna…"

"Please?" _How could he say no to that_?

"I don't really know them personally," he rambled. "All I know about them is what I learned fighting against them…or a few times with them…but…"

"I don't care," she pleaded.

Bobby stared at the green haired beauty for a few moments before sighing. "I've had more run ins with Pietro. We fought together once when we went to this big tomb in Egypt during the Apocalypse thing. He's…he can be kind of cocky I guess. But he's a pretty, uh, quick thinker and he's smart, I guess." Bobby raked a hand through his hair and grinned. "I don't even know how many times I walked into the guy's bathroom at school and he was fretting over his hair in the mirror."

Lorna let out a choked laugh, and a few more tears fell. "Sounds like me in the morning."

Bobby shook his head. "You are not anywhere near _that_ bad."

She smiled. "What about my sister?"

Bobby frowned at Wanda's mention. He didn't really know Wanda at all. The only real encounter Bobby ever really had with the girl was when she was attacking him at the zoo and messing with his powers. Any other time he saw her was at random, sporadic moments with Rogue before the whole FOH thing started, and even then the witch was only standing around and glaring at people. Bobby had heard stories about Magneto sticking her into some asylum when she was real little, and then that she had wanted to kill him. The next thing he'd heard about it was when Kurt returned from watching her get her brain scrambled by the Acolytes. How the hell was he supposed to tell Lorna _that_?

"I haven't really had the pleasure of meeting her," Bobby muttered.

"Oh," Lorna whispered. "Do you know anything of her?"

"She's…" Bobby sighed, but wanted to ease her mind in anyway he could. "She's very powerful. She's strong and she…um, she just likes to keep to herself I guess."

"Did you ever see her at school, too?"

Bobby frowned. "No. I don't think she went to school."

"Oh."

"I'd tell you more if I knew…" Bobby trailed off. "I don't want you to be sad anymore."

She smiled at him through her tears. "I'm not. Thank you…that really meant a lot to me."

Bobby forced a smile and nodded. "Good."

The couple lay silently on the roof for a few more moments, letting the warm night air blow around them. Lorna had wanted to go up there to be alone with him, and Bobby had no objections to that. It was the first time she really wanted to do any talking since she'd fought with Magneto a few days previous. He was glad to give her at least a little information, but he knew deep down it didn't make either of them feel any better. She still felt like she was missing something, and he…well he just felt guilty for having ill-feelings toward a family that she so desperately wanted to be a part of.

"I think this is the only place in Bayville you can see the stars well," she whispered as she cuddled up against him. Bobby only nodded.

"It's too polluted anywhere else," he mumbled.

"I like to look at them," she admitted. "Especially when I'm upset about something. I always wondered what it would be like to see them closer."

Bobby watched her. "You could always fly…your power lets you do that."

She smiled. "I know, it's just…something about them always gives me some sort of reassurance. I know it might sound silly, but…"

"It's not," he promised her. "I feel the same way about twinkies."

She smacked him playfully on the chest. "Seriously, Bobby. With all the bad stuff that goes on in the world, and all the mutant hating…and all this drama with my family -- I look up there and it reminds me that's its not _always_ chaotic everywhere, you know?" her eyes brimmed with tears once more. "I always liked that really bright star; the very highest, brightest one directly at the top of the sky -- it makes me feel that maybe someday things will change -- be different."

He watched her. "That's Polaris."

"What?" she asked him, finally turning to look at him.

He grabbed her hand and looked up to the sky; directly above them, high above their heads the star twinkled in the night. "The star, it's called Polaris…the north star."

Lorna watched him. "How do _you_ know that?"

Bobby grinned crookedly. "I pay attention in Beast's lectures."

She let out a small chuckle. "And you actually remembered the name of a star?"

Bobby inwardly grinned, but tried his best to look offended. "I sure did! I also know that it's directly in line with the Earth's axis, or something." He shifted his weight to look at her better, and grinned crookedly. "It never moves and all the other stars just move around it -- like it's their gravity force, or something. It's like the star that lines with a pole, so that's how it got its name…Polaris." Bobby felt like _such_ a dork for rambling like some _nerd_. "Beast bribes me with twinkies to pay attention in his classes."

"That's a beautiful name," she whispered so quietly that he almost didn't hear her. The sight of her at that very moment with tear streaked cheeks doused in moonlight nearly made his heart shatter. He leaned in ever so gently, and kissed her softly on the lips.

"It's no wonder a beautiful girl like you loves it," he tried to make her feel better.

"Thanks, Bobby."

* * *

(1) This of course refers to Cable and his _wonderfully violent_ team, X-Force -- since Marvel thought they could be cool and relaunch them with shitty people in it. Sometimes I seriously want to puke and spit on that company, especially when they fail at life.  
(2) Oh tentacles. I don't know what the big thing is with tentacles, but they scare me…and since I have an unnatural habit of reading scansdaily always….tentacles just snuck in here on me. I need help.  
(3) I know only a couple of people will find that funny, so I'm sorry. 

**Next Chapter** - Mystique prepares and plans, Magneto briefs the X-Men on the Baltimore Sentinel facilities, and Wanda has a little talk with Sage.

**A/N**: I just wanted to say thanks to the people who inquired about the deleted scenes, and I'm glad you liked them. I have written more since the last update, so once again, if you're interested in reading them either PM me or let me know in a review and I would be happy to give you the links. It's the least I can do with my crappy updating. ;D


	19. Unexpected

**A/N**: I am so sorry. Feel free to chuck shit at me for making you all wait this long. I started a 100 prompt fanfic challenge for the Rictor/Shatterstar pairing on LJ…and I'm not gonna lie, it totally made my lack of time even more non existent. I apologize.

PS - Those people who put their request thingers in for this fic at my LJ -- I was able to stick mostly _everything_ in here for you guys. Hee. I hope you're happy ;D

* * *

**Chapter 19 - Unexpected**

* * *

An explosion of pain shot through Tabitha's face as she hit the ground. The blonde shook her head, adjusted her sunglasses and formed a barrage of time bombs in her hand. "That's it, Cajun! I've had just about enough of your crap!" 

Gambit laughed from somewhere behind her. "Sure, chere. Why don't ya come on over here an' wrestle some more, henh? I know _I'll_ enjoy it."

Pyro laughed from her other side.

Tabitha growled and clenched her bombs in her hand. She sprang to her feet and began to run across the yard, leaping into the air when she was only a few feet away from Remy. The Cajun watched her expectantly with his bo staff in hand, waiting for them to continue their spar. However when Tabitha didn't begin a combat melee on him right away, his red on black eyes widened. "What are ya…?"

"Nighty night, _Rem_," she hissed and shoved the time bombs down the front of his uniform. With a wink, they went off, throwing the much taller boy across the lawn and into a tree. John burst out into another fit of laughter at the sight, and looked at Tab.

"I think ya just made my day, Sheila," he chuckled.

Tabby grinned, happy that he at least wasn't insulting her today. "Why thank you, kind sir! I do what I can!"

The pair continued laughing at Remy's plight as the Cajun rolled around on the ground and tried to put out the fire that was his uniform. The group had been training for the past hour, and both John and Tabitha were pretty sick of Remy fooling around and not giving them a fair chance. Gambit had been kicking both of their asses the entire practice -- which was _supposed_ to be no powers -- and finally Tabby had grown bored. In her opinion, however, Remy should have just been proud that she and John hadn't gotten bored _sooner_.

"Ya idiots!" Remy growled. "I shoulda known ya wouldn't have been able to keep yer focus on hand to hand."

"Look who yer talkin' ta, mate!" John laughed. "Ya couldn't a picked two worse people."

"Except maybe Wanda and Pietro," Tabitha grinned. "But at least they have attention spans."

"Very true," John grinned and stood up. "Can I play with me flamethrower now that she got ta throw her cherry blasts?!"

Remy rolled his eyes. "Like I could stop ya, homme."

Tabby grinned at the boys and then perked an eyebrow when she noticed someone step out of the house. Todd was looking a little less miserable than he had been over the past few days, but still looked a little pissy nonetheless. The blonde girl smiled up at him. "Hey Froggy, how's it hanging?"

He gave her a weak smile. "Hey, yo." His yellow eyes scanned the yard until they landed on Pyro -- and as soon as they did Todd hopped off the deck.

"Oh brother," Tabitha muttered.

John turned around and noticed the Toad approaching him, and the taller boy clenched his fists. "Whaddya want, bloke?"

"I think we need to talk, yo," Todd stood his full height and folded his arms.

John stared down at the shorter teen and raised his eyebrows. "Talk or are ya gonna drool on me again? 'Cause that's really not the way ta win a man's heart, ya know."

Todd scowled at the insinuation. "About Wanda."

John flailed his arms overdramatically. "Not that! Anything but that!" he declared sarcastically.

"Shuttup!" Todd yelled at him. "I'm being serious!"

Remy snorted. "Well then I'm outta here, mes amies. Have fun with the love spat."

John just watched Remy's back until he had disappeared into the boarding house. The Australian folded his arms over his chest and stared down at Todd. "Ya got two minutes, mate."

"Or what?" Todd asked.

"I lose my attention span," he warned seriously. "Now talk."

Todd cleared his throat and did his best to look imposing, but Tabby would be the first to point out that he'd failed miserably. "I know what you did to Wanda, yo. And if she ever found out you do realize that she'd kill ya, right?"

John just stared at the Toad coldly, but didn't say a word.

"Well I don't like the fact that she sees somethin' in you, especially after you did such an assholish thing to her!" Todd pointed a stubby finger into the larger chest and hissed. "But she likes you - for some dumb reason - and she's happy. And I care 'bout her and I just wanna see her happy, too."

John raised his eyebrows. "Yer point?"

"I ain't gonna say somethin' to her about it," Todd told him. "Just 'cause I know that she'll probably kill me too."

John snorted. "I don't think she's gotta be pissed off to wanna do that to _ya_, mate."

Todd glared. "Say what ya want, foo', but at least I don't have that shit burning on my mind like you do. She'll remember some day, ya know…and when she does don't expect me to feel sorry for ya when she fries your ass."

John stared at him. "Ya done?"

"I'll be watching you," Todd narrowed his eyes, and motioned between them with two fingers. "You mess her around and Ima fuck you up."

"Whatever, bloke, ya think what ya want."

Todd just gave him another glare and hopped back toward the house. Tabby perked an eyebrow up at his odd behavior and then turned back to John, who had a thoughtful frown on his face. The blonde cleared her throat and looked at him.

"Look, I know we haven't exactly been on the best of terms, but…"

John turned to her. "But what. Sheila? Ya did somethin' shitty but we're both past that now. Moved on. No need ta bring it up, huh?"

She shrugged. "Sure I guess."

"Wanna finish blowin' shit up?" he asked her.

She sighed. "Are you gonna be alright? I know that this is probably bugging you…" she cleared her throat awkwardly and approached him. "I can tell…"

He shrugged her off. "I'm fine. Now! Time for a floor show!" he laughed and powered up his flame thrower, shooting about ten feet of orange glow into the air before shaping it into the form of a show dancer.

"A floor show?" she smirked. "You can do better than that."

"Yer right!" he cackled. "How about some O-Zone? The Numa numa?"

She burst out laughing. "You're such a freak."

* * *

"This is it, X-Men," Magneto stood tall in the middle of the room and looked around the table at his team. "We have found a location in Baltimore, Maryland. The Friends of Humanity are operating a Sentinel base there and we have reason to believe that hostages are being held there as test subjects." 

"Lahke Area 51?" Rogue questioned, getting a chill just from the name of the place that had captured her.

"Worse," Magneto announced. "The FOH is operating with an entirely new line of Sentinels. Area 51 had only experimented with three machines. The FOH has upward to at least 50."

"How are we supposed to defeat that many?" Kitty asked.

"I believe with our training we can do it with no issues," the older mutant explained. "I will be with you, and with my power as well as Lorna's I believe that most can be taken out quite easily. We also have Iceman and Magma's powers to stabilize them as well."

"Cool," Bobby replied, happy that Magneto wasn't putting him down for once.

"Yes," the older man rolled his eyes and looked back at the group. "As for the rest of you, Colossus, Shadowcat, Rogue, and X-23 will be the rescue effort. Your job is to free all hostages and prisoners and help them to escape. Security needs to be taken out as well."

X-23 unsheathed her claws. "Can we then return to help you destroy the robots?"

He stared at her. "I…suppose. Although I have been informed that Wolverine had little luck against…"

"_I_ trained against those machines," she snapped. "I worked for both Hydra and SHIELD. I know where their weak points are and how to defeat them."

"Fine," Magneto sighed. "But you complete your assigned objective first. The prisoners are our first priority here. We want to have a limited amount of fight as possible. Lives are on the line, and we cannot put anyone in any sort of danger while doing so."

"So what would you like us to do with the security then?" Piotr asked.

"Only disable," he looked pointedly at X-23. "We do not need to kill any of them. Subdue and prevent them from calling for help."

Rogue snorted. "Ah guess we'll just have ta hope that they got closets we can lock 'em all up in."

Magneto folded his arms. "Do what you have to do. Just try not to kill them. Charles would not be pleased with us if we did." The older man pushed his cape over his shoulder and stood tall. "Every training session you've participated in the past month will come into play. You need to remember all tactical techniques and strategies, and remember which ways are best to utilize your powers in your individual situations."

"Will we be carrying comm links?" Kitty questioned.

"Yes," Magneto replied. "My team will be sticking with me, and I want yours to follow direction from Rogue."

"Meh?" the southern belle gasped. "Ya actually want meh to lead mah team?"

Magneto stared at her. "Yes."

"But…" she snapped her mouth shut. "Okay then. Ah just wasn't expectin'_that_."

Magneto just nodded. "I can give the job to someone else if you…"

"No," she cut him off, holding up a gloved hand. "Ah can handle it."

"Good," he announced. "I do believe you can. Prove it to me now and the job will be yours permanently in the future. I would definitely like to accompany this team as much as possible for the time being. There is still some work that needs to be done," the older man glanced pointedly at Bobby, which did not go at all unnoticed by the Iceman. "And until that is straightened out, I will be out in the field. As well as Lorna…"

"Polaris," she spoke up suddenly, with a slight blush. "I'm going to go by _Polaris_."

A huge grin spread across Bobby's face, and he looked over at his girlfriend. Expectedly, she was blushing madly and hiding behind her green hair, but the whole thing just made him too damn happy. He was rather proud of himself for being responsible for the name change, and he'd have to ask her about it later.

"I like it," Magneto told her with an approving nod. Just as quickly though, he went back to where he was. "With _Polaris_ being new to the team still, I would like to keep eye on your teamwork strategies. Once I'm convinced this line up is going to work successfully, there will be a second in command leader…" he looked pointedly at Rogue again. "Who will take my place in the field."

"What about the Brotherhood?" Amara asked. "Are we expecting them to show up?"

"We are not one hundred percent sure at this point," Magento announced. "And unless someone on this team informed them of our plans, then they would have no reason to attack _us_. That being said, however, they do have the same agenda as we do. My plan was to dismantle this particular base before they could get the chance to blow something else up."

"But what if they do show up?" the Nova Roman girl questioned.

"Then we fight them," he told her. "Unless of course they are willing to cooperate with us, then we will fight _with_ them. They would definitely be a good team of mutants to have as allies based on their abilities, but they cannot be trusted."

Lorna snorted, and that made Bobby furrow his eyebrows at her. Her eyes widened when she realized that she'd done it out loud, and she covered her mouth. "Sorry."

"Do you have something to add?" her father asked with an annoyed tone. Bobby couldn't even believe she'd done it.

"No," she said quickly. "I was just…laughing…at…something in my head."

"Well don't!" he scolded. "Pay attention in the briefings, Lorna."

"Yes, sir," she bit her lip.

"Good," he took a deep breath and tossed a stack of papers onto the table. "Those are maps of the exterior area of our destination. Obviously interior views are unavailable, and this was the best we could do. I want this memorized before we get there. Any questions?"

"When do we leave?" Bobby spoke up.

"First thing tomorrow morning," he announced. "Until then, I want you to be prepared. We have an impromptu training session at 8pm tonight. I want you there in uniform and on time. Anyone who is not there when I ask will be replaced, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," came the mumble of replies.

"Good. You are dismissed," he announced, and walked back to the projector at the front of the room. Bobby just watched him with an amused look on his face, before watching his teammates leave the room. Lorna practically sprang from her chair and sprinted to the hallway -- and Bobby just smirked.

"EXCUSE ME! Coming through!" he yelled as he started an ice slide across the floor and out the door, effectively knocking both Kitty and Amara over in the process.

"Bobby, you idiot!" Kitty yelled.

The Iceman laughed as he neared his girlfriend, but his amusement was short lived when Amara threw a fireball at the base of his slide -- melting it and sending him crashing to the ground.

"Ow! That was not necessary!" he yelled. Pulling his face from the floor, he was delighted once more when two black boots stood in front of him. "Hey baby, need someone to warm you up tonight?"

Lorna stared down at him and shook her head. "Very funny. You couldn't warm up a fire place, Bobby."

"Ouch," he feigned hurt. "You sound testy, Lorna Dane! There's no need for a pretty girl like you to feel that way."

She perked a green eyebrow and held out her hand, lifting him into the air until he was standing on his feet again. "I'm sorry. My father just put me into a bit of a mood. I didn't mean to sound that way."

He grinned, and grabbed her hand. "Well I would never let you feel bad for long, you know. What kinda guy would I be if I did that?"

She snorted as they began to make their way down the hall. "You're just fine the way you are, Bobby. I promise."

"Good," he bounced in his step. "So…" the word was drawn out long purposely.

A smile twitched at the corners of her lips. "Don't start."

"I didn't say anything!" he defended, but paused. "I mean, I just wanted to say that your new code name is so you! Wherever did you get it from?"

She smacked him playfully on the chest, and pulled him into the elevator quickly before anyone else could catch up with them. "I love it, okay?"

He leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. "Me too."

"It's just…that night definitely made me feel a lot better…about everything, you know," she whispered. "Sometimes I wonder how I even deserve a great guy like you. Things with my father are not going that well, but you are so sweet and awesome for keeping my mind away from it, and…"

He smiled fondly at her rambling, and placed both hands on her face. "Just stop, okay? You deserve it, I promise. I'd give you the stars if I could."

A blush colored her cheeks. "Bobby…"

"I mean it!" he insisted. "Things'll get better, I promise. And until then I'll make sure to keep that sweet smile of yours on your face. We can do anything you want!" he kissed the tip of her nose. "Wanna have a snowball fight?"

She laughed at him. "It's warm outside."

"That never stops me!" he beamed. "And snowball fights are sexy."

"Sexy?" she perked an eyebrow.

"Don't you think?" he asked, half icing up to show off. "It really does good things for my complexion."

The elevator stopped at the main floor and she shot him a look before turning out of the lift. "Whatever you say, Bobby."

His eyes trailed down her body as she walked away, and he grinned. "Hey! How about a snow fort? It can be the Chez de Love au Bobbyland!"

"Bobby, don't ever try and speak French again."

* * *

"So, Laaaaance," Pietro drew out the rock tumbler's name in an annoying tone. "Have anything to tell me?" 

Lance didn't even look at him as he flipped through the channels on the TV. "Uh…nope. Don't think so."

"Oh, come on!" the speedster whined. "Just spill already! I've been waiting days for you to tell me! I'm your _very_ best friend…"

Lance burst out laughing. "My best friend?! Yeah okay, Pie…"

Pietro quickly sped in front of him and yanked the remote from his grip. "No more jokes, Shakedown! Tell me what I wanna know!"

"Shut up!" Wanda growled. "I'm trying to watch this too, you know!"

Pietro rolled his eyes and flipped the television set off. "I will sit down and be quiet once Mr. Secret Pants here stops keeping secrets!"

"You sound like you're in kindergarten," Lance snorted at him. "And I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Do I have to spell it out for you?!" Pietro yelled.

"Do you even know how to spell?" Wanda mused, still glaring at her brother.

Lance blinked. "I think you do because I have no fucking clue what the hell you're talking about."

Pietro sighed overdramatically and practically fell over from exasperation. "New girl! Did you bang her yet? What does she look like naked?! I heard you were staying up late with her!"

"Sage!?" Lance's voice cracked.

"DUH!" Pietro tapped himself on the side of the head. "Who else?"

"Pietro! You're a pervert!" Wanda growled.

The speed demon rolled his eyes. "Hey, I'm just voicing what everyone else was thinking! Don't hate me because I have the guts to say it out loud!"

Lance rolled his eyes and waved him off. "I'm still with Kitty."

"You are!?" Wanda and Pietro asked simultaneously.

Lance's face burned. "Yes! Fuck, guys. Mind your own business!"

"So you're not tapping hot chick?" Pietro questioned.

"NO!" Lance yelled. "And I wouldn't! _Ever_! She sleeps with her fucking guns!"

Wanda snorted. "That she does."

Pietro slumped onto the couch. "You're pathetic Lance. Jeez. And to think for 2.4 seconds out of my life you were my hero."

"Why don't _you_ try then!?" Lance snapped. "As a matter of fact, I encourage you. Hopefully she'll blow that stupid head off of yours and wreck your impossible hair."

Pietro smirked. "I don't think my other ladies would appreciate that."

"Well if they're with you in the first place they'd probably be too fucking dumb to figure it out anyways!" Wanda yelled at him. "I have no idea who'd be dumb enough to fucking date you, Pietro. You're like an STD suitcase."

"Hey! I am not!" Pietro defended. "I'm just curious! I promise."

"Well there's nothing going on," Lance groaned. "And there never will be, okay? I love Kitty, and Sage is just a…neat person, I guess."

Pietro snorted. "I doubt that. If she's boring enough to be able to stay up talking with you all night I doubt that there's anything exciting about her. What do you even talk about anyways? Your bad fashion sense? Your out of date hair? Your jeep?...Which is broken by the way. Don't know how, but it happened when I accidentally stole it."

Lance glared at him. "WHAT!?"

Pietro sped away from him and stood on the other side of the living room. "Maybe Sage will fix it for you?"

Lance rolled his eyes. "Fuck off."

"No thank you," Pietro grinned. "Oh! I know!"

"What?" Wanda and Lance both sighed.

"You stayed up talking about how pretty Kitty doesn't want you to save her from trees anymore! Ha! I bet she hasn't even called in forever, Lance. You should just give it up already," the speed demon tapped his foot before speeding back to the pair on the couch. "Did you at least get to see her pajamas?"

Lance snorted in amusement. "No. She only wanted to boost my powers, but I told her no."

"Boost your powers?" Wanda questioned.

Lance nodded and finally snatched the remote back from Pietro. "Yeah. She can make your powers stronger or some shit like that. I dunno; all I know is that I don't wanna be leveling the city because I can't control whatever it is that she does. So I said no."

"And she can do that to anyone?" Wanda asked.

Pietro narrowed his eyes. "I don't think so, missy! You aren't even going to think about it! Last thing we need is you going all haywire on us!"

The witch glared and threw a hex at her brother, sending the silver haired teen across the room and out into the kitchen. The Scarlet Witch turned to Lance and tilted her head to the side. "Can she?"

Lance shrugged uneasily. "I…I don't know. You'll have to ask her. But doesn't that scare you at all? You're already pretty powerful, Wanda…"

Gambit came into the room then. "Bonjour, mes amies. What's with the hush hush?"

Wanda shrugged and pushed herself from the couch. "Nothing. I'll be up in my room if anyone needs me."

Remy snorted. "Probably will soon. Your amour is outside talkin' to the Toad. I think they might get into it..._again_."

Wanda rolled her eyes and continued up the stairs. "Let them. Maybe they'll fucking stop acting like children."

Remy and Lance both started laughing hysterically. "Yeah okay!" Lance called after her sarcastically. Wanda just rolled her eyes and took the rest of the steps up in twos until she reached the landing of the upper floor. Like usual, it was in total shambles. Freddy sounded like he was watching television in his room, and another sound seemed to be coming from her room. The witch swallowed and approached the black painted door, and hexed it open.

Sage lay on her bed, and didn't even jump when the door slammed against the wall inside. Her ankles were crossed and her arms were folded over her chest. She had a weird pair of glasses on and she seemed to be paying a scary amount of attention to them.

"Um…what are you doing?"

The dark haired girl perked an eyebrow. "Programming."

"Uh…okay," Wanda shook her head and closed the door behind her. "Where did you get those?"

"I made them," she replied.

"Oh."

"Yes," the older girl breathed before taking them off and sitting up. "Did you want something? You sound as though you want to say something to me."

"We need to talk," Wanda told her. "Bullshit aside, I wanna cut to the chase."

Sage shrugged. "Whatever. I'm all ears."

"Tell me about your powers."

Sage perked an eyebrow. "Which ones? I'm most certain my life story won't entertain you, so I would rather not bore you. I have a lot of them."

"Power booster," Wanda told her. "Lance said you can boost a mutant's powers."

"Yeah, I can," Sage told her. "It isn't something that I want to do to just anyone though. The results are rather unpredictable and I would rather not hand over such power to someone who wouldn't know how to use it."

"Can you do it to anyone that you want though?" Wanda asked her.

"If the potential is there, yes," Sage replied. "It depends on the mutant. An epsilon-delta or gamma mutant is very unlikely to have more power potential. The higher the classification of mutant, the more likely I will be able to make changes," she explained. The girl crossed her legs. "Someone who is an alpha level mutant would be the most likely candidate. They are the most powerful with the most potential. An omega level mutant would be futile because they have unlimited potential as is."

"I'm not following you," Wanda shook her head. "I don't know what that means."

Sage sighed. "Long story short? Every mutant on the planet is placed into a category based on their power potential. The lowest rated are the zeta and epsilon mutants while the highest level is the Omega level. There are only a handful of omegas living on the planet. They have an unlimited potential for power and energy resource. These mutants could practically destroy the planet with their abilities and still be able to survive otherwise." She looked at her nails, then back at Wanda. "While the Epsilon and Zeta level mutants don't have any subconscious control over their abilities whatsoever. They are minute and offer only slight outward deformities or psionic advantages -- but that's it. There is no more potential beyond that."

Wanda nodded. "Okay and the others?"

Sage shrugged. "There are many. There are Gammas, Deltas, Betas, and Alphas. The Gammas and the Deltas are lower scale, but the most common type -- but I would have little effect on them. The Betas and the Alphas are more powerful, however and have a great degree of potential. The higher rated the mutant is the more degree of control they have as well as potential."

"And I would be considered…?" Wanda asked.

Sage seemed to scan her for a few moments. "I can't say for sure, but I would probably guess an Alpha." (1)

"So the potential is there?" Wanda questioned. "Do I have more room to expand?"

Sage bit her lip and stared at her. "I…yeah, I would think so. But are you sure you'd want to try that? You have to understand that an Alpha level mutant is very powerful, but rare. You don't have a great control over the power that you have _now_..."

"But can your boost improve my control?" Wanda asked.

"It's possible; I can't say for sure," Sage explained. "I can't predict the changes, they just happen. And they are irreversible. You could have a potential within you that would expand your powers to a point you'd never thought possible."

Wanda watched her. "And if I want that?"

Sage swallowed. "You have to let me into your head first. I wanna look at all the possibilities that I can - analyze them. Then we can discuss this further."

Wanda gave her a glare. "What if I don't want you up there?"

Sage returned the icy stare. "What if I don't want to help you?"

"Fine," Wanda muttered. "You stay where you need to be though, got it?"

"You have my word," Sage offered.

* * *

"I'm happy to be getting a mission finally," X-23 stated. "It has been far too long and I'm really sick of sitting around and being useless. It would not be so bad if we got more Danger Room sessions, but they won't let me use it for more than three hours a day," she ranted. 

Kitty gave the girl a worried look. "Why on Earth would you want to train for that long?"

Rogue snorted. "It makes her feel better when she's slicin' off robot heads."

"It would be better if it were real," she hissed. "There are far too many safety protocols in the Danger Room. At Hydra, their technology was created to be able to _kill_ me."

Kitty looked frightened. "Well we don't kill people as X-Men."

The younger girl snorted. "Says you. I have a nose for death and I know there are those here responsible for it."

Rogue shifted uncomfortably. "X, Ah think maybe we should lay off the death talk befoah ya offend someone."

"Perhaps the people here should not be so sensitive," she scrunched up her face. "Why fight on a strike force if you are going to be sensitive to fighting?"

"Because we're not a strike force," Kitty laughed. "We are peace keepers."

"But we fight," X-23 pointed out. The girls reached Rogue and Kitty's bedroom door, and all three slipped inside to continue their conversation. The fighting machine known as X-23 was confused as to why her teammates never seemed to really have their hearts into their fights. Sure, they were very loyal to their cause, but often times they made her feel as though she were wrong for truly wanting to _fight_ for a cause -- and being someone that was bred to kill, the very fact confused her more than anything.

"Yeah, but we aren't the Brotherhood," Kitty rolled her eyes. "They are more of a strike force; we just want to promote peace, and if we have to fight to protect people then we will. But we aren't going out of our way to hurt people."

"They're not a strike force," Rogue pointed out. "Don't say that, Kit."

"They kill, do they not?" X-23 questioned with her eyebrow perked. "If they have missions to take out targets that would make them a strike force."

"But they aren't lahke that!" Rogue scoffed. "God X, Ah bet that most of 'em would listen to ya talk for five minutes and they would be appalled just like Kit is."

"Then they aren't true fighters," X-23 shrugged and looked at Kitty. "Perhaps you give them too much credit."

"You say that now, but I bet you'll change your minds the minute we run into them," the brunette sighed, looking a little upset. "It's not like I_ want_ them to be that way, but it's the truth."

"Ah thought ya cared?" Rogue shot. "This whole time Ah've been defendin' them ta Magneto and ya haven't said a word to help stand up foah them. Can ya honestly say yoah gonna fight them when we see 'em?"

Kitty had something flash in her eyes -- hurt maybe? -- X wasn't sure. The usually perky brunette just shrugged her shoulders. "I'll do what we _have_ to do, Rogue, just like you will. If we have to stop them, then we will. I've had to fight Lance before and as much as I didn't like it, I still did it. Priorities are with the team before anything else. It's always been that way."

"That I agree with," X-23 paced the floor between the two girls' beds. "Comrades come first."

"He almost died," Rogue blurted suddenly. "Did ya even know that?"

Kitty stiffened. "What?!"

"Two weeks ago or somethin' lahke that," she explained, her face cold. "Remy told meh."

"W-what happened?" Kitty stammered.

"Ya haven't even talked to him, have ya?" Rogue questioned smugly.

"No, I…I've been following _orders_. And why were you with Remy anyways?" Kitty questioned; it looked as though she was trying to be strong, but maybe on the inside she was feeling a little hysterical. "Rogue, you know we're not supposed to! …And is Lance okay?" she asked as an after thought.

Rogue only rolled her eyes. "Lance is fahne, now. Remy and some new girl on their team took care of 'im because Mystique wouldn't let 'im see a doctor."

"Oh my god," she muttered.

"And Ah saw Remy because Ah damn well can," she announced, placing her hands on her hips. "Ah have mah loyalties too, and Ah'm willin' to split 'em evenly."

"You can't make everyone happy all the time," Kitty protested. "Rogue, you have to understand that I love Lance just as much as you love Remy, but there's a time and a place for this stuff. They're criminals now,_ murderers_, Rogue. How can you look past that so easily?"

"Ah know exactly what he is!" Rogue snapped. "The idiot has touched meh enough tahmes that Ah know exactly what he's done and why he did it! If that was any sorta problem it woulda been one months ago!"

"And you're totally okay with that?" Kitty was looking a little exasperated by that point. "I don't want to start sounding like Magneto or the Professor, Rogue, but there's definitely something wrong with that."

"Ah'm with him for a reason," Rogue was getting angry, X-23 could tell. "There's a lot moah to mah relationship with Remy than just makin' judgments, Kit. Ah can't even touch the guy, so obviously that says somethin' about how serious he is and how he feels if he's still stickin' around despite that."

"I never said there wasn't," Kitty retorted. "All I'm saying is that he's shady and you shouldn't take it as casually as you do! You're going to end up getting hurt if you do." Kitty plopped down on her bed and blew her bangs from her face. "He's lied to you, fought us, kidnapped you, and now he's going around killing people. How do you trust someone like that so easily?"

Rogue's mouth snapped shut and she glared daggers at Kitty. X-23, who'd been quiet during the exchange, cleared her throat. "You know, I've killed. Logan has as well, yet you still trust us to be on your team."

"And that's totally different," Kitty sighed. "You both were forced to do things. I saw Logan when he was controlled by Weapon X, and he had absolutely no control over anything he did. They did something to his brain. You were bred and raised to do it, so you didn't know any better."

"And what about this Brotherhood?" X-23 asked, honestly curious. "What is it that makes you so angry at Gambit and Avalanche and Pietro Maximoff that makes them so bad…things that they do that are no different than what I did?"

Kitty's eyes dropped to the floor. "Lance lied. He knows better and he wasn't mind controlled or forced to do anything. He killed people on his own free will, and he's still fighting even though he knows I don't like it when he does."

"Then perhaps his cause is a lot more important than you originally thought?" X-23 suggested. "It seems to me that you don't even really leave any room open for discussion."

"Because I am _against_ killing," Kitty protested, "And he was too up until recently! He was a really good guy; he even tried to join the X-Men once."

Rogue sighed. "And he is still the _same_ guy, Kit. Ya just don't have much faith in him."

"Because my faith lies in the Professor and this team," she shot back, suddenly defensive. "Unlike you! You go behind our backs, you lie, and you defend the very people we're supposed to be protecting the world from!"

"Kit, Ah'm all foah the cause! Ah just don't see the point in not bein' able to love mah boyfriend too!" Rogue argued.

"Because it's hypocritical!" Kitty argued right back. "And I'm sorry, but when it comes down to it this team and Xavier should be more important. He gives us food and shelter and helps us control our powers! We owe it to him to be loyal, that's what we signed up for."

"And Ah _am_ grateful to him!" Rogue snapped back at her. "But is it so wrong that Ah have other people that Ah care about too? Remy and Ah are close, and ya should know that. Ah don't wanna have ta give him up because Lord knows…"

"What?" Kitty questioned. "You don't want to be _alone_? You think you have to hold on to a guy like that because you don't think you're good enough to get anyone else? That's ridiculous, Rogue, and you know it."

X-23 smelled the rage pour off the southern girl, and the weapon had to stand between the two girls. "That's enough! You do not need to act so petty."

"That was low, Kit!" Rogue seethed.

"But it was true," Kitty pointed out with a soft tone. "Don't hide behind anyone just because you're scared to be alone. You'll regret it."

Rogue glared. "Ah've been alone mah whole damn life! Irene kept meh sheltered and Ah had no friends! Ah can't even touch someone -- hold their hand, kiss them -- anything! And ya think Ah'm scared ta be alone?!"

"Rogue…" Kitty trailed off.

"No! Ya listen ta me, Kit, and ya listen real good," the Southern girl pointed a finger at her. "Ah don't need ya tellin' meh who Ah should or shouldn't trust and how Ah feel because Ah already know! Ya wanna spout this shit off ta meh 'cause ya don't have the guts ta stand up foah yoah man, that's yoah problem!"

"It's not even like that!" Kitty protested.

"It is!" Rogue snapped. "And Ah'll tell ya what, if those idiots show up at the Sentinel factory tomorrow tryin' ta stop us, Ah'll be the _first_ one to knock that Cajun idiot on his ass and give him somethin' ta be sorry foah!" she backed away and headed towards the door. "Ah know what Ah need to do and where Ah need ta draw the line. Maybe it's time ya grow a set and do the same thing!"

And before either of the two girls could respond, the Southern belle had slammed the door and left.

* * *

At nightfall, Mystique motioned for her visitor to come inside of her room. She pointed at a chair across the room, and once they were settled in, the shape shifter folded her arms. "You've been distracted."

"I know."

The blue skinned woman cocked her head to the side. "I can only hope that the outcome is not going to be the same as it was last time."

A scoff was heard. "I'm fine, don't worry."

"Sure you are," she shook her head. "You don't say much to me. I often wonder if I made a mistake letting you on this team."

"You didn't."

"I shouldn't even trust you, you know," she folded her hands in her lap. "But I do. You have something inside of you that the others on this team fail to have. That is valuable to me, and because of that I like to keep you around."

"Oh yeah?" she received an eye roll for her efforts. "That sounds wonderful."

"Yes; besides your arrogance, I actually find you useful. And for someone who's often accused of being a coward, I think you're anything but," she said calmly. "I know you are the one who'd _always_ do what needs to be done -- good or bad -- for the _right_ reasons."

"Perhaps."

"Which is why I still trust you despite pulling what you've pulled in the past," she explained.

"What's the point of this conversation?" a very annoyed tone snapped at her.

"I have a job for you."

"A personal mission or something?" Mystique noted the suspicion in the question.

"No," the shape shifter replied, and she spun in her chair to dig around in her desk. She pulled out a .22 caliber gun and a six inch military issued hunting knife. "Take these."

An eyebrow perked. "I'm not even trained to use them."

"You don't have to be," she looked smug, and just a bit proud. "Besides, your mutant abilities should do most of the work for you."

"What exactly is it you want me to do?" a hesitant hand grabbed the weapons. "And who says that I even want to do it anyways?"

Mystique was completely unfazed by the small outburst. "Because your status as a member of this team depends on it; and with some of the _interesting_ information I know about you and your past deeds and decisions, I'm sure you'll comply."

She received a glare for her threat. "What is this _job_?"

Mystique smirked. "We leave tomorrow for Baltimore. I am hoping that Graydon will be on site this time -- and I am almost sure that he will be -- which is good news for us."

"And?"

"You are going to be the one who kills him," she replied calmly.

"You want me to take a hit out…on your son?" a pause. "And what would you do if I didn't?"

She cocked her own gun and folded her legs. "That was not a request. You _will_ be the one."

* * *

(1) According to the Marvel handbook Wanda is classified as an alpha level mutant. 

**Next Chapter**: The X-Men and the Brotherhood head out to Baltimore and find…Sentinels! But something isn't right about them…

A/N: Who fails at updating? I do! And I'm sorry, I really am. I hope that this was okay and you don't feel completely cheated out from the wait. And Happy Halloween! It's one of my favorite days of the year! Thanks for reading and please review.


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